Together We Can Make The Earth Quake (ON HIATUS)
by LisaMichelle25
Summary: After losing control of her powers, causing devastation and destruction in the process, Skye had been forced to flee The Playground when everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. had turned against her. Out of options she'd had no choice but to turn to none other than Grant Ward and team up with him and Kara Palamas. Now with Leo Fitz joining them all the 4 of them have is each other.
1. Together We Can Make The Earth Quake

**Author's Note: This fic is an AU/Canon Divergence fic from ****_Season 2 - Episode 10: What They Become_**** onwards, so everything up until that episode happened prior to the start of this fic and everything after it is completely AU. :)  
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**I hope you enjoy reading this fic and will let me know what you think via each new chapter as the story progresses! ^-^**

**WARNING: This chapter contains ****SEXUAL CONTENT. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.**

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**Chapter 1: Together We Can Make The Earth Quake**

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_I shouldn't be doing this, especially with him... _Skye kept thinking over and over in her head, yet despite everything she couldn't bring herself to stop what was happening, because it was something she'd wanted to happen for a long time now when she truly thought about it. And honestly just _screw _the circumstances and _fuck _the truth, because this was finally happening and she wasn't about to stop it. She'd be crazy if she ever did, because she _needed _this, and she knew that he did too.

Ever since S.H.I.E.L.D. and Coulson had turned on her a few weeks after the events of San Juan that had resulted in Tripp's tragic and shocking death thanks to her uncontrollable powers surfacing that she still failed to understand and completely control at times, Skye had been forced to flee and run from the people she'd once viewed as her close friends and family, due to them all becoming so scared of the uncontrollable nature of her powers and subsequently her in the process while seeing her as nothing more than simply another Gifted person that they could experiment on and seek to control.

And then with nowhere to turn and not sure anymore of who she could even trust she'd sought out the last person she ever thought she would see again..._Grant Ward. _

The last time Skye had seen Grant she'd shot him 4 times, which she now deeply regretted, and up until the moment she actively started searching for him again she'd had absolutely no idea if he'd even survived or not.

But Grant had survived.

And then he'd gone into hiding of his own after deciding to help Agent 33, who was now once again going by her real name of Kara Palamas, come out of her brainwashing the best that he could.

So when Skye had suddenly showed up out of the blue into both of their lives again they'd naturally been wary of her and untrusting, which was a fault she couldn't blame them for since she now truly understood where they were coming from when it came to S.H.I.E.L.D. turning their backs on them and treating them as nothing more than people that they could use and abuse whenever they suited because she was now literally walking a mile in their shoes.

It had taken Skye a couple of weeks to gain even a small ounce of Grant and Kara's trust after they'd let her tag along with them. She was grateful knowing that deep down she didn't deserve their help, but they'd proven to her, Grant especially, that even after everything he was still willing to help her in her time of need, albeit a little more warily though and had his guard up around her a lot more, but at the end of the day he was still willing to help her and especially since the only other person she could've turned to if he'd sent her away was her father, Cal. And turning to her biological father was something that Skye really didn't want to do unless she absolutely had to.

So now a few weeks later Skye found herself in an intimate tryst in a motel room she never thought she'd ever allow herself to be caught up in with the man she had vowed to never let get this close to her after everything they'd been through, since his betrayal had hurt her a lot deeply than it had anyone else, because deep down Skye had fallen hard and fast for him even though it was something she'd always refused to say out loud or even truly acknowledge to herself the full truth behind her feelings for him.

But despite everything the heart wants what the heart wants and all Skye's heart wanted was Grant Ward.

And Skye's heart was currently getting exactly what it damn well wanted and on Valentine's Day no less, something which Skye found to be ironic and extremely clichéd, but hell, it's not like she had any control over the day that their angry, angsty, unplanned and perhaps just a little bit drunk sex on god knows how many shots that Kara had encouraged them to drink at the bar they'd all ended up in had decided to happen.

"I shouldn't be doing this, especially with him..." Skye found herself thinking yet again, or so she thought, because that time she actually said it aloud by accident.

"Good advice" murmured Grant against her forehead. "Perhaps you should listen to yourself before it's too late."

When Skye lifted her head and looked up at Grant she felt the last of her control snap completely because his mouth was _right there. _Her breathing was now fast and the pulse point in her throat was throbbing. Add to all of that she just so happened to be pressed close to his chest after he'd suddenly pulled her into his arms during the petty and drunken argument they'd engaged in on their way back from the bar to the motel, which had resulted in Skye being determined to get in the last word and had promptly followed him into his motel room instead of returning to the one that she shared with Kara next door. And then in one swift movement Grant had pulled her into his arms and crushed their mouths together in a passion filled kiss, promptly stopping Skye mid-argument with a fierce kiss she didn't even try to put a stop to. Well, at least not until they'd had to pull apart for air to breathe of course.

"There's no fun to be had in listening to advice, especially when it comes from my mind and not my…" said Skye, trailing off before she said _heart. _Grant didn't need to know how deep her feelings for him ran, _still ran, _even after everything that had happened between them recently. There was no point in making this night between them anything more than what it was, which was a simple, angry, long overdue hookup that had been a long time in coming.

Grant merely smiled a wolfish grin down at her, knowing fine well what she'd stopped herself from saying since his feelings still ran pretty deep for Skye too, but she didn't need to know that either, at least not yet. He knew what tonight was just as much as Skye did. And just because tonight had somehow managed to land on Valentine's Day meant absolutely nothing. It was just another stupid day on the calendar, right? So with a tilt of his head towards her he once again covered her mouth with his and kissed her for the second time that night.

Heat immediately slammed into Grant when his lips connected with Skye's again, making him smile against her lips when she instantly surrendered to his kiss. His kiss was hard, fierce and desperate. This wasn't the time for subtle seduction. This was the time for _need. _

And it was a need that was like hot and thick lava running through his body and making him grind his mouth over Skye's, feeling her completely surrender when she lifted her arms up to wrap them around his neck until she'd groaned in response, which had then made him flip them around until they'd moved from the middle of the room where they'd been standing until her back had hit the wall beside the bed. His tongue then parted her lips and he delved deep, determined to taste all of her after wanting to for so long and knowing that she felt the exact same way about him. He'd waited with Skye longer that he'd ever waited before to claim a woman that he desired. Grant had never wanted a woman as much as he now wanted Skye, as much as he'd _always _wanted Skye.

Fire soared through Skye's veins, blurring her mind, leaving only her body in charge and the aching throb between her legs that clearly let her know just how much she really wanted him right now, which was only intensified due to the fact she could definitely feel how much he wanted her if the sudden rise in his jeans was anything for her to go by. Her own need for him was now close to exploding and wanting to do nothing but feed the flames threatening to consume her. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, her fingers were sliding up into his hair and all she could think of was _too many damn clothes._

Skye shivered as Grant reached down and tugged the hem of her shirt up, but she continued kissing him regardless, giving him everything that she had, while pouring her own need and desire into the melding of their mouths. And then as his hands cupped her breasts she gasped, tearing her mouth from his to lean her head back against the wall and arch her body into his touch while he thumbed her nipples through the fragile lace of her bra until she was groaning, leaning further into him and offering herself to him.

And Grant took the offer.

Lifting her bra up and out of his way Grant took his fill of the full, luscious breasts that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about since the first day he'd seen them almost fall out of her purple top back in the interrogation room aboard The Bus when they'd first met and she'd been teasing him with a direct line of vision to her cleavage. Her nipples were now hard and erect and he just couldn't help himself anymore. Dipping his head low he took one, then the other into his mouth, rolling the sensitive tips between his lips and tongue, scraping the edges of his teeth across the pebbly surfaces until she was sobbing his name, and not his surname of Ward like he was used to hearing her call him, but his _actual _first name of Grant.

Skye held his head to her tightly and actually shrieked a little when he started suckling her nipples.

And that unfettered sound went straight to Grant's groin, pushing him to take even more. Straightening up he dropped his hands to the waistband of Skye's jeans and quickly undid the snap and zipper. Their eyes were locked onto each other as he reached one hand down, slid it across her abdomen, beneath the sliver of elastic of the panties that she wore and then delved deeper, cupping her hot, wet core.

At his first touch Skye's eyes glazed over and she rocked her hips into his hand, silently asking him for even more.

But Grant held still, not moving, not stroking, just simply torturing them both. He luxuriated in the feel of her hot, slick flesh beneath his hand and gritted his teeth as he fought for some semblance of control. Then he slid the pad of his thumb across one particularly sensitive spot and her entire body jerked in response.

Skye's breath hissed in and out of her lungs, her eyes grew wide, her lips parted and her tongue swept out to lick them. And then when Grant bent his head and kissed her as he continued to tease her all Skye could do was groan loudly, as he continued to stroke the bud of sensation, clearly enjoying the tremors that continued to rack her entire body as she twisted and writhed in his grasp.

But they weren't the only tremors currently coming from her, as ever so small tremors were currently making their motel room tremble ever so lightly all around them and if Grant happened to notice then he didn't let on or even show any signs that he was bothered by them.

"Ward, _please…_" begged Skye against his lips. "...you have to…" she murmured, her gaze imploring him, pleading with him to ease the coiled tension inside of her. "…touch me, take me. Please, _Grant._"

As soon as he heard his first name once again slip from her lips Grant became lost in her eyes as he gave her exactly what she needed, what they _both _needed.

Tugging her jeans and panties halfway down her hips Grant quickly straightened up again as he dipped his fingers into her depths, stroking and caressing her. He felt her own movements immediately quicken, her breathing becoming almost strangled, as she continued to still whisper his name. He could feel the heat radiating from her all around his fingers as she groaned and writhed wildly against him, clinging to his shoulders, widening her stance to give him even more access and moving with him at every stroke of his hand.

And all Grant could do was watch her, completely mesmerized, as he found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. He'd never seen anything more beautiful than Skye in the grip of passion or heard anything before like the small, breathless sounds that were escaping her throat and falling out of her mouth. She was chewing on her bottom lip and had her gaze locked with his until all he could see of the world were her amazing, brown, doe like eyes that never failed to remind him of _Bambi._

Everything that Skye felt clearly shone on her face, so he easily knew when her climax was hurtling towards her and especially since the wall she was backed up against was trembling behind her. He knew instantly when she reached her precipice since she suddenly tugged his face towards hers and fused his mouth as one with her own when she finally bolted over the edge, trembling and quaking in his arms with the force of her release and just like the room around them. He couldn't help but think to himself that come tomorrow morning there was no doubt going to be a few news reports on small tremors and quakes in the area. God knows what was going to actually happen when they actually hit the bed and released all of their pent up frustration and passion out on each other, but one thing Grant was sure of was that he was definitely interested in finding out.

Ever since Skye had joined up with him and Kara she'd been reluctant to reveal to them exactly what it was that she could do that had warranted S.H.I.E.L.D_._ and Coulson turning on her and classifying her as nothing more than simply another Gifted person that needed to be put down when they failed to control her, though he'd eventually gotten her to reveal little things of what she was now capable of doing to him. And what Skye could now do was pretty much create earthquakes and tremors, though luckily for all involved she'd since gotten a small control over what she could do and if she could help it then she point blank refused to let her powers loose for any reason. Though now it seemed like she was losing some control over the tremors, but if Grant was honest with himself they didn't bother him in the slightest and instead turned him on even more knowing that he was the one making her lose control like that.

And then when it was done and Skye had come down from her climax all Grant wanted was more. He was now hungrier for her than he'd ever been before and he was damned if he was going to wait a second longer for what he truly wanted to happen between them. "Come with me" he blurted out, hoping she could hear him through the sexual haze that was still clouding her mind and eyes.

Grant didn't even bother doing up her jeans again, as he'd only have to undo them again in a few minutes. So instead he took a hold of Skye's hand in his own and pulled her away from the wall towards the bed with him, soon grabbing her and holding her flush against his chest and tightly enough to him that she couldn't help but feel the hard thickness of his own arousal pushing into her.

"If we do this I don't know what will happen when it comes to the tremors…" whispered Skye quietly and nervously against his lips. "…or even the quakes."

"Don't worry, Skye, because whatever happens I'll be right by your side and I won't leave you for anything" said Grant, smiling down at her reassuringly and meaning every word. "But if I'm honest with you then I definitely want to see if we can ricochet up that Richter Scale."

"We're definitely going to have to flee first thing in the morning before anyone investigates where the commotion all came from if we manage that!" laughed Skye, shaking her head at him, as she licked her lips, looped her arms around his neck and then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him as hungrily as he had kissed her only moments before.

Grant met her hungry, passion filled kiss with one all of his own, as he practically ripped her shirt off of her, buttons flying everywhere but neither of them caring. Once she was shirt free he unclasped her bra and tossed it to the side where it hit the nearest chair.

As Grant was stripping her of her clothes Skye was sliding him out of his black leather jacket she'd always loved since it made him look all rugged and handsome and somewhat like a rebel, as she then tore his black shirt from him before discarding of it to the ground below them.

Grant heard a couple of buttons on his own shirt sail across the room but he didn't give a damn. All he cared about in that moment was how he'd do anything to have her soft skin against his.

Grant was currently blind to everything but Skye. He'd never known anything such as an all consuming desire before. Sex for him in the past had always been fast and hot and generally for the good of a mission and a part of his cover. He'd never cared about any other woman during sex as much as he cared about Skye right now and always had. He'd used women in the past for sexual release just as much as they'd used him. But this time it was different. Because this time he was with Skye, the woman he was secretly in love with. Though even he knew it wasn't so secret anymore and that even Skye knew he loved her deep down. _Thank you for that, Raina… _he couldn't help but think to himself.

But regardless of his past trysts what he had right now with Skye was more because _she _was more. Though even he knew that he shouldn't be allowing himself to think about that right now, because what was going to happen between them tonight could be nothing more than a one night stand if he had to put a label on it. Neither of them were in a healthy place right now in their lives to be in a relationship with each other so some angry, angsty and one hell of a long time in coming passionate sex was going to have to be enough for now.

Skye suddenly pulled free of his kiss and reached for his belt buckle, undoing it swiftly with perfect ease, while her gaze was fixated on his the whole time.

_There's nothing sexier than a woman who can look you deep in the eyes while getting you naked… _Grant couldn't help but think, which made him chuckle a little to himself.

As Skye unzipped his jeans she reached inside to cup her hand around his aching, rock hard erection, which only hardened even more at her touch. Skye knew that Grant wanted her just as much as she wanted him. This really was one sure fire way of releasing out of all their pent up frustration and anger they both had upon each other and even she couldn't deny that it was a long time in coming. But good things come to those who wait, right? Regardless of everything else though tonight meant a lot more to Skye than simply releasing out her pent up frustration and anger, because even though she refused to admit it aloud she couldn't pretend that she didn't love him, because she loved him more than she wanted to.

Grant was the bad boy traitor that had broken her heart once and Skye knew that if she wasn't careful when it came to him then he could so very easily do it again without even realising it. But a bad boy to Skye had always been quite the turn on and was proving no different now either.

After tonight they'd no doubt find a way to remain somewhat apprehensive friends until they were both ready to be in a healthier relationship with each other, which right now Skye knew that they weren't. But until that day came then maybe every now and then they could get drunk and fuck each other senseless in the odd motel room here and there. Or hell, maybe even in the backseat of whichever car they'd currently stolen, since they were both on the run now, along with Kara, and the 3 of them were wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. so Skye knew that she and Grant weren't always going to find comfort or a bed to screw each other in when they really needed to.

Right now though they could. Because right now they just so happened to have a big double bed that Skye was definitely interested in testing out.

Quickly shaking herself from her thoughts Skye continued to curl her fingers around Grant's ever hardening erection, teasing him as relentlessly as she possibly could and revelling in the moans escaping from deep within his throat.

At the first touch of Skye's fingers over his hardening erection Grant damn near lost it and that had nearly been humiliating to admit, even to himself. But he was wound ever so tight and aching so bad for her that it wasn't too surprising when he thought about it. Her grip was strong yet gentle at the same time, firm as well as soft and the touch of her fingers on his sensitized skin was like putting a match to a dry kindling. "Stop it, Skye. _Now!_" he growled, teeth gritted, as he took a hold of her hand and pulled it free, flashing her a half smile to take the sting out of his sharp warning. "You keep that up and it's all going to be over before we even get started."

"Can't have that now, can we?" drawled Skye, as she pulled back from him to strip herself from what was left of her clothing in her jeans and panties.

"_Hey!_ I'll do that..." said Grant, as he reached out to tug her towards him so he could stroke his hands across her breasts, cupping them in his palms and thumbing her nipples until she swayed unsteadily on her feet. "...I've been thinking of nothing but stripping you out of your jeans for the past few weeks. I want to enjoy the moment."

"I hope it's okay then if I enjoy it too?" asked Skye with a devilish wink.

"Absolutely" smiled Grant, as he dropped his hands to the waist of her jeans and slowly pushed them down over her slim hips. As he slid them down he took the tiny swatch of her lace panties with him as he went, soon dropping to his knees and leaving a trail of kisses along her flesh as it was exposed to his hungry gaze. "You have an amazing body" he murmured against her thigh.

Skye squirmed in his grasp, as she reached down to slide her fingers through his thick hair and then dragged her nails across his scalp. "If you say so."

"You're beautiful, Skye" whispered Grant and as if to prove his point he slid his hands around to cup her bottom, squeezing it tightly while his fingers kneaded her tender flesh until she whimpered and swayed once again unsteadily on her feet, gripping onto his shoulders for support in remaining upright. "Don't ever think you're not."

Skye simply remained silent while holding onto his shoulders tightly to keep herself steady, soon stepping out of her jeans and panties when he wanted her to.

And then the next thing Skye knew she was completely naked standing before him.

To Grant she was as beautiful as ever as a splash of the moonlight outside hit her body through the gap in the curtains, illuminating her perfect figure to his line of vision. Running his hands over the line of her hips and all the way down her long, shapely legs he couldn't help but smile a wicked smile up at her. "I love your curves. A man could get lost in your body and happily stay that way forever."

Skye smiled and reached down to cup her hand under his chin, tipping his head back so she could look down into his eyes staring up at her, wicked smile and all. "Less flattery and more action, yeah?"

"You got it, babe" grinned Grant devilishly, as he spread her legs wide apart just a little before dipping his head downwards and readying his tongue as he did so.

Skye knew instantly what he was planning on doing and her eyes went as wide as saucers at the mere thought of it, which made her suck in a breath and hold it. _"Ward…"_

"I want to taste all of you, Skye…" said Grant and leaned right in, covering her heat with his mouth.

Skye gasped and arched into him, her fingers digging sharply into his shoulders, her short, neat nails scraping against his skin and leaving small scratch marks. She failed to stop herself from wobbling unsteadily on her feet, but thankfully Grant's hands that were now once again on her bottom kept her still and held her firmly in place.

Grant more than happily continued to lick, kiss and stroke Skye into a frenzy. He soon sensed the building tension in her body that tightened with every slide of his teasing tongue. His hands moved from her bottom to run up and down her thighs, over her hips and then dipped down so that he could invade her slick heat even more with his torturous fingers. His entire world shrank down until there was only Skye, her taste and her scent, as she was everything to him. Every soft moan and gasp that escaped from her throat made him more frantic to feel her body bucking under his. He could now sense that she was close to another climax and this time he was determined to be buried deep inside of her when she came.

And then suddenly Grant couldn't wait another second longer to bring them both together in the only way that truly mattered so he pulled away, stood to his feet, stripped himself of his jeans and briefs in mere seconds and then returned to Skye to lay her down on the bed not far from them and levered himself over her as she reached for him eagerly, her legs quickly parting just as eagerly. "Oh, _dammit!"_

"What?" asked Skye, looking up at him slightly confused. "What's wrong? Why'd you stop? Please don't stop or I swear I'll bring this motel crashing down around us out of frustration and not ecstasy."

Grant dropped his forehead to hers and if he'd been strong enough to leave her he'd have jumped to his feet and kicked himself for forgetting the one thing he really needed right now in order to continue. But hell, he hadn't carried protection around with him in the hopes of getting lucky for years now. Plus, the last woman he'd been involved with for more than a simple night had been via a no strings affair and that had been with Agent May, to which she'd always been the one to cover protection when needed.

Ever since S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen he'd then been locked up in Vault D of The Playground before going on the run with Kara, to which he simply had a platonic relationship with and had developed a pretty good friendship, despite the fact she still had Agent May's face thanks to the malfunctioning nano mask that was now forever engraved to her face. They both hoped to change that one day though and get her real face back for her, because at the end of the day she was Kara Palamas and _not _Melinda May.

Shaking himself from his thoughts Grant sighed heavily before finally answering Skye. "We have to stop. No condoms."

"Not a problem" said Skye with a shake of her head and a smile. "Trust me."

Grant lifted his head at that to stare down into her eyes. "You're on the pill?"

Skye licked her lips and nodded at him. "I am. I don't know if you're aware but Simmons has had me as well as herself and possibly May on a regular birth control since formation of the team. Just for, y'know, in case and all. I've kept it up ever since because, well, you never truly know when you'll need it. So as long as you're healthy then we're covered, because I'm healthy too, to which again you can thank Simmons constantly checking whenever giving medicals."

Relief flooded through Grant along with a renewed pulse of desire that damn near strangled him. "You can trust me, Skye, because I'm healthy too. It's mandatory with all active male S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to be regularly checked because you never know what type of a mission we'll be called upon to do."

"That's all in your past now, Grant, because now you can choose who _you_ want to be with and no one but _you"_ said Skye, smiling softly up at him.

Grant just grinned down at her. Hell, he'd never really talked with a woman before once he had her naked because he'd never felt at ease or comfortable enough to do so, especially if it was all for _'the good of the mission.' _But Skye was different on so many levels from every other woman he'd ever known. There was another hard lurch in his chest as his heart suddenly thudded like a jackhammer. _Yeah, not the time for those thoughts again… _"In that case then I choose you, Skye, and no one but you." Smiling down at her a little wickedly he once again covered her body with his.

And then finally they were skin to skin and chest to breasts. The soft smoothness of Skye's flesh against his was enough to nearly send Grant flying over the edge, but not quite, since he'd always prided himself on having a better and longer lasting willpower than that.

As Skye's breasts rose and fell with the quickness of her breathing she lifted her left leg up to stroke along his calf.

Sensations coursed through Grant, too fast and far too many to count, but he didn't need to, because right now he didn't care much about worrying about a damn thing other than getting exactly where he needed to be and where he knew that Skye needed to be as well. Easing back on his knees and looking down at her he then reached out to spread her legs wide apart for him, failing to resist the urge to stroke her core with his fingertips and smiling widely as she twitched and writhed under him.

_"Ward!_ Don't make me wait any longer, _dammit!"_ exclaimed Skye, as she lifted her hips up in further invitation and offered him a weak smile just as the room trembled around them ever so lightly. "If you're not inside me soon then I swear I'm going to explode and take you and the motel room with me!"

"Hmm, well, we can't have that now, can we?" chuckled Grant cockily, as he settled himself on top of her once more and then pushed himself inside of her in one swift, deep stroke.

_"GRANT!"_ yelled Skye, arching up off of the bed at him pushing himself deep inside of her like she wanted and holding perfectly still until she began to adjust to his size, to which she was quite pleased to see he was pretty well endowed. _I seriously waited too damn long for this! I knew I should've lured him away from Agent May quicker! _Skye couldn't help but think to herself a little jealously while adjusting her hips and taking him inside of her even deeper.

And that provocation was all that Grant needed, as he moved against her, his hips rocking with hers and settling into a fast, hard rhythm that Skye was more than happy to match.

Their breaths mingled and their kisses lingered as their bodies raced along the line of tension stretched so tautly between them. Their hands explored everywhere as they whispered words into the silence as sighs, moans and groans of two bodies merging became one with each other.

Skye felt surrounded by Grant, engulfed by him, as it was a feeling she'd never known anything quite like before. Her slick heat held him in place while her body welcomed him and her hands left trails of fire along his skin whenever she touched him.

Again and again they parted and came together, each of them eager for their climax that was just out of reach while both trying to draw out the moment just a little bit longer too.

Grant's mind raced as his heartbeat hammered in his ears and just as Skye locked her incredibly slender legs around his waist, calling out his first name over and over when the first wave of her climax washed over her.

The moment Skye came the room around them shook almost violently that Grant was actually surprised they didn't get catapulted off of the bed and onto the floor.

As Skye continued to climax hard and moan out his name Grant caught every single one of those moans with hard and passionate kisses, as he swallowed her cries, her breaths, everything that he could while drawing her into him in every way possible.

And then when he was unable to hold out any longer Grant finally let himself follow Skye over the edge, finally surrendering his slippery grip on his now barely there control, tumbling off of the edge completely and following her into her world of pure and utter ecstasy and just as more tremors ricocheted around the room.

"I think it's safe to say that we maybe came close to exploding the Richter Scale!" laughed Skye breathlessly against his shoulder where she was now resting her head, her fingers trailing softly through his hair while Grant rested his head in the crook between her shoulder.

"I think so too. But if I'm honest then I always knew it, y'know?" chuckled Grant, as he lifted his head up to grin a devious smile down at her.

"Knew what exactly?" asked Skye, quirking an inquisitive brow up at him.

Grant just smirked as he leaned down to capture her lips to his own once more and before they set about working on round two, because there was _definitely _going to be a round two, and three, and four, and five and, well, until they were both exhausted really, because that was something Grant was going to make damn well sure of because after tonight neither of them knew when they'd ever get the chance to be this intimate with each other again.

"Tell me what you meant" said Skye, as she gripped his hair tightly in her hand and pulled his head back up to look at her. "Or there will be no more of what I know you're currently thinking, Grant Ward."

_"Together we can make the earth quake…"_ answered Grant a little smugly, flashing her a cheeky wink and silencing her no doubt witty response with a passionate kiss and just as another tremor made the bed vibrate beneath them.


	2. Maybe We Can Be Monsters Together?

**WARNING: This chapter contains ****SEXUAL CONTENT.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe. **

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**Chapter 2: Maybe We Can Be Monsters Together?  
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When Skye woke up the next morning she awoke to find herself half sprawled out over the bare, muscular chest of none other than Grant Ward.

Blinking her eyes more than once in order to get them to focus in on her surroundings a little better Skye couldn't help but notice that not only was Grant still completely naked from all of their lovemaking from the night before but so was she. And then when she finally allowed her eyes to glance around the motel room she didn't fail to notice the broken pieces of furniture that now littered the room and made it look like nothing short of an earthquake had happened. But then in a way it kinda, sorta had, since she had the ability to create and control earthquakes after all, as well as tremors and, well, Skye didn't really like to think what else she could do if she could help it, because some of the other things she was capable of scared her if she was completely honest with herself since they'd been one of the real reasons as to why S.H.I.E.L.D. and everyone else had turned their backs on her.

And that was all something she'd yet to confide in even to Grant.

Shaking herself from her thoughts Skye sighed lazily, stretched out a little and then quite happily cuddled against Grant's side once more, as she remained half sprawled out on top of him like she currently was, because if she was completely honest with herself she really didn't want to move. She knew deep down that the moment she uncurled herself from around Grant and moved away from him that the passionate night they'd spent together and the 7 times that they'd had sex, yes 7 times, would all immediately slip away into the far regions of their minds while they both did their best to lock down their true feelings for each other, do the whole '_conceal don't feel'_ thing and compartmentalize to the best of their ability.

They couldn't be together right now, since they both knew deep down that they just weren't ready for that step yet without creating what could potentially be a toxic relationship between them, and no doubt not even realizing they were even doing it until it was far too late and the damage was already done. Hell, they could've already done that now that Skye truly thought about it, because honestly going back to simply being friends was something Skye was no longer sure she even wanted anymore and especially not after she'd spent the entire night before pretty much melding her naked body to Grant's own and destroying their motel room in the process.

_Focus, Skye... _Shaking herself from her thoughts once more Skye stretched out her left arm across Grant's toned, muscular chest and gripped his right side tightly with her fingers. As soon as she did she instantly felt Grant stiffen and actually _hiss _at her doing so, which made her jerk her head up to look at him a little oddly.

"Good morning" said Grant, smiling down at her. "Did you sleep well? Because I know I sure did once we were, y'know, done making the earth quake together."

"Did you hiss at me like a snake a few seconds ago?" asked Skye, as she furrowed her brows at him. "And I hate to burst your bubble or anything but I'm the one responsible for making the earth quake, not you."

"That may be true but at the end of the day I'm the one responsible for doing everything that I did to you to make you lose control all of the times that you did last night" smirked Grant rather smugly. "And no I didn't just hiss at you like a snake."

"Quit being cocky because it's such a..." said Skye, trailing off to bite down on her bottom lip and just in time to stop herself from finishing with _turn on, _because boy oh boy was his cocky as fuck attitude such a turn on for her and if he kept it up she'd quite happily climb on top of him, straddle him so he couldn't escape and proceed to rock his whole world while destroying what was left of their motel room in the process. "...and you did hiss at me. I know you did. You let out a hiss when I stretched out my hand and tightly gripped...oh, _shit__!" _grimaced Skye, as realization slowly dawned on her like a hard smack to the face because where she'd gripped him tightly had been the exact same spot on his right side where she'd fired not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 bullets into his side months ago now, to which the bruises and still healing bullet wounds were probably still a little tender from time to time whenever pressure was applied to them.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" said Grant, flashing her a small smile when she glanced back over to look at him. "I'm over you shooting me now."

"Neither one of us is dumb enough to believe that so don't insult either of our intelligence by lying" sighed Skye, rolling her eyes at him. "You'll never be over me shooting you and we both know it."

"Well, it's not every day you get shot 4 times by the woman that you have really strong feelings for and that you're only trying to help escape safely, so..." said Grant, chuckling a little in order to lighten the mood. "...after all you were a little over zealous. I mean once would've been enough, maybe 2 to be on the safe side, but 3 and 4 were just really unnecessary when you actually take the time to truly think about it."

"Like I said you'll never be over it..." sighed Skye, glancing away from him. "...and rightfully you shouldn't ever forgive me for it. I just didn't want you to follow me down into the temple and incapacitating you was the only way to do that without actually telling you that was the reason, since I was still really mad at you after everything that you'd done and everything that had happened. Plus, I figured after you'd recovered you'd stay the hell away from me for your own good."

"And that's exactly what I did" said Grant, sighing deeply. "I left with Kara and she took care of me until I was back on my feet. I stayed away from you for weeks. You're the one that found me, Skye."

"Because I had nowhere else to go!" exclaimed Skye, jerking her head back up to face him. "Coulson turned his back on me and S.H.I.E.L.D. became my enemy!"

"Welcome to my world, baby" scoffed Grant a little bitterly. "We're the hunted ones now."

"Well, if I'm honest then I'm happy to be hunted with you..." said Skye, smiling softly, as she locked her eyes with his own. "...because it sure beats being with my crazy as all hell biological father."

"I regret ever finding him and reuniting you with him" said Grant regretfully. "If I hadn't then you would never have gone down into the temple after Raina, gone through what you did, suffered losing Tripp right in front of you and gained powers that you never wanted and now absolutely hate."

"I would've reunited with my father with or without your help, as I'm sure he'd have found another way to cross paths with me, only I imagine a little slower than you kidnapping me and taking me to him" said Skye, laughing lightly. "As for Tripp I don't want to talk about him. I just can't. Because every time I do all I can think of is if I'd just put a few bullets in him like I did you to stop him following me as well then he'd still be alive like you..." she said, trailing off to swallow thickly and blink away her slowly forming tears. "...let's move on. My powers? Yeah, I hate them when I can't control them. But other than that they're kinda cool when I focus because then I can kinda control them. I'm just afraid to try too much since I haven't a damn clue what I'm supposed to be doing and probably never will."

"I really am sorry for everything, Skye" said Grant, as he reached out his hand to tenderly brush the hair from her face and tuck it behind her ears. "If there was anything that I could do to help you when it came to controlling your powers then you know that I would do it in a heartbeat."

"You already do help me simply by accepting me with powers now. You don't judge me or look at me any differently or think of me as some kind of freak of nature that should be controlled or experimented on and neither does Kara. So by treating me like I'm still simply Skye you both help me far more than you even realize" said Skye, smiling down at him. "And then whenever I'm with you like I am right now I feel safe and protected and above all else I feel like I can take on the whole world knowing that you'll be right by my side, even if it's just as my friend."

"I'll always be by your side, Skye, you can count on me no matter what the world throws at us" smiled Grant, as he cupped her face in the palm of his hands and sat up to kiss her, quickly manouvering her onto her back when their kiss deepened and she moaned into his mouth. "Like I said last night together we can make the earth quake."

"You and your dumb puns!" huffed Skye exasperatedly. "Next you'll be coming up with an earthquake related nickname for me!"

"I already did" smirked Grant proudly. "Wanna hear it?"

"I'd much rather you stop talking and put that mouth of yours to good use elsewhere before we have to leave this motel room and forget everything that ever happened between us..." said Skye, sighing a little sadly at the thought, since she never wanted to forget a single thing from their night spent together, though she knew deep down that there was no way in hell she ever really could.

"Whatever you want..." grinned Grant, as he lowered his mouth back down towards hers with a devilish grin. "...my little _Quake."_

"I'm just going to forget that I ever heard you say that because, _wow_, that was just really corny, Ward, so yeah, but _no_..." snorted Skye, as she closed the distance between them and brought his mouth crashing down upon hers hard and passionately, revelling in the loud, contented moan she heard him release upon her doing so.

Skye knew that she really shouldn't be letting this happen between them again, because the more times that it did then the more times that both of them fell even deeper for each other and came ever so close to the point of absolutely no return. And that was a point that they both currently knew they couldn't risk taking with each other just yet. But _damn_ did she really want to just say _fuck it _and _fuck everything _and dive head first into whatever they could create together, even if the ultimate ending would be a far from happy one, because if they attempted to even remotely start anything truly meaningful with each other right now then that's exactly the kind of ending they'd eventually have.

And then they'd have no one but themselves to blame for it afterwards.

Deep down they both knew that they were destined to break each others' hearts, which was a path they'd already set themselves up on inadvertently, because if they were ever completely honest with themselves then their earth shattering sex alone was enough to break them both emotionally beyond all repair.

Snapping herself out of her thoughts that were threatening to consume her Skye broke their kiss and bit down harshly on her bottom lip, as she brought her legs up to wrap tightly around Grant's waist and flipped their positions almost effortlessly until he was now the one beneath her and she on top of him. As she kept her eyes tightly closed Skye blinked away the few stray tears that were daring to try and fall and brought her lips back down roughly on his instead. As much as she knew that she should really stop them from going any further this time she also knew that she didn't have the willpower to be able to, and nor did she want to either.

Skye's hands fisted into Grant's hair until she was kissing him as if he was saving her life. They were hard, almost desperate kisses that left both of them barely able to breathe when they needed to pull apart for some much needed air.

As Skye tore her mouth away from his Grant looked up at her and watched her ever so closely. Her breathing was ragged and heavy as she began to run her hands over his chest without once meeting his eyes with her own, which he didn't like at all, because if he was going to make love to her again then she was damn well going to know it was him like she had all of the previous 7 times the night before.

"Look at me, Skye" said Grant quietly and not too overly demanding, yet she ignored him, putting her mouth to his right nipple instead and sucking on it hard. When she did the same to his other nipple he couldn't help but moan loudly. But regardless he was undeterred. "Please look at me, Skye."

Skye lifted her head up ever so slowly when she heard him say _'please', _yet still somehow managing to not look at him even when she was, almost as if she was in some sort of a daze.

_"Look at me..."_ whispered Grant fiercely. "...look at me_, dammit!"_

Blinking herself out of her daze like trance Skye finally locked her eyes back onto his, her brown, doe like eyes dark and steady. "I'm looking at you. I see you."

"Good. Because wherever you went and whatever you were thinking _don't_..." said Grant softly. "...because when we make love you're gonna know it's me that's making love to you."

"You mean when we have sex..." said Skye, swallowing thickly. "...because we have to be in love with each other to actually make love."

"You say that as if we're not secretly..." said Grant, as he leaned up and claimed her lips to his own hotly, flipping her off of him and onto her back.

"Don't, Ward, please don't say anything else..." said Skye, her eyes pleading with his to understand. "...because I'm not ready to hear anymore and you know you're not ready to say it. So just don't, alright?"

Grant merely remained silent as he hovered over her and let his mouth come crashing down onto hers once more to take away her fear and pain over everything that she was currently feeling regarding her hidden feelings for him, because all he wanted to do right now was help her to forget everything if that's what it took and even if only for a little while.

But Skye had no intention of letting him take control of the situation. She wanted to be the one in control this time dammit! So instead she twined her fingers into his thick hair, yanking him further down on top of her and not gently either.

But Grant of course didn't mind and allowed Skye to tug him to her and push and slide her hot tongue inside of his mouth in a way that left both of them utterly breathless, as she kissed him deeply and demanded his full and undivided attention.

_"Skye..."_ panted Grant when they finally managed to break free from each other to breathe.

"Get on your back..." said Skye, her tone of voice rather demanding, as she nipped at his bottom lip playfully with her teeth. "..._now."_

"Happy to comply" said Grant, as he rolled off of her and onto his back, merely shrugging and flashing her a cheeky wink when she simply rolled her eyes at his choice of wording, before climbing on top of him, straddling him with her hips and deviously grinning down at him once she was settled on top of him.

"If that's the game you wanna play then just lay back and..." drawled Skye seductively, smirking down at him a little naughtily. _"...compliance will be rewarded."_

Grant couldn't help but chuckle at her response, which had a ripple effect as it reverberated throughout his whole body until it hit Skye's and made the whole room around them begin to shake and tremble.

"How is it possible that Kara hasn't come to tell us off yet?" giggled Skye, kissing him deeply. "She's bound to know what we got up to all night and are about to again right now."

"Maybe she just doesn't want to catch us in the act?" chuckled Grant, as he trailed feather light kisses up Skye's neck.

"Mm, here's hoping she still doesn't then..." purred Skye into his left ear, nipping at his earlobe when she pulled away, as she then slid herself up his body and back down again, instantly feeling him harden against her and managing to suppress a squeal when he bucked up against her. Smiling devilishly down at him Skye rested her palms atop his bare chest, as she then leaned down towards him to scrape her tongue along his left shoulder before moving onto his abs and nipples.

Grant's whole body jolted at the feel of Skye's tongue sliding over his nipples, as the hard pebbles she rolled between her tongue and teeth felt as if they were directly attached to his groin, which in turn made him go as hard as a rock in mere seconds alone. _"Skye,_ oh_ god, _Skye..." he groaned out tautly, as he tightened one hand in her silky brown hair while his other hand rubbed at the back of her neck.

Sitting herself up into a sitting position Skye guided Grant's hardened cock inside of her in one slow grind that had him quickly steadying himself along with her on top of him. As she started to grind herself up and down him, pumping him of everything he had to offer her, she kept her eyes fully open and locked onto his, as she let him know that she was fully aware of what she was doing and exactly who she was doing it with, be it simply having sex or making love.

The slow, delicious friction between them built to a fever pitch within minutes, as Skye picked up speed and milked Grant of all that he had and just as the remaining shelves attached to the wall behind them fell to the floor with a loud _CRASH!, _due to the room suddenly starting to tremble and shake all around them.

As Skye's orgasm took over her and the room began to tremble and shake all around them Grant gripped her hips tightly in the palm of his hands, levering them both to the bed the best that he could, while holding onto his own orgasm for as long as possible until he'd felt Skye completely let herself go, heard her scream out his name in nothing but pure ecstasy and dig her nails sharply into his shoulders. Once Skye had climaxed only then did he finally let himself go and join her, as he came inside of her hard and fast with a loud cry of his own, his head flying back against the pillows while his hands continued to grip Skye by her waist ever so tightly until she'd taken from him all that he had to offer her and collapsed against his chest thoroughly exhausted.

They were now bathed in each others' sweat but neither of them minded in the slightest, simply more than happy to still be joined together as one.

Despite the fact that Grant had now gone flaccid inside of her Skye could still feel him inside her and she didn't want to move anytime soon, because she knew as soon as she did that this could never happen between them again until they could make it work as more than simply a one night stand.

The peaceful bliss they felt was soon shattered by a loud banging on their motel room door and followed not long after by equally loud yelling. _"__GRANT! SKYE! FOR THE LOVE OF EVERY INNOCENT LIFE AT THIS MOTEL WILL YOU STOP FUCKING EACH OTHER BEFORE YOU INADVERTENTLY CREATE THE MOTHER OF ALL EARTHQUAKES THAT RIVAL ANY OTHER!"_ yelled Kara a little angrily, her tone of voice also thick with frustration.

Grant and Skye could only snort and burst out laughing loudly at Kara finally giving in to come and voice her disdain at their antics.

"I can hear the two of you laughing in there, y'know? Just wrap it up and get dressed already, okay?!" sighed Kara, her voice echoing through the door and sounding a little on the robotic side thanks to her scarred face courtesy of the nano mask that still acted up and glitched from time to time, thus making her voice sound slightly robotic and wavy every now and then like a sonic beam. She unfortunately still looked like Agent May, something which the three of them wished to change and sooner rather than later if they could, since she deserved to be Kara Palamas once more and with her own face and not forever be stuck with Agent May's. "We have to get the hell out of here and fast because I've seen the local news and naturally there have been a few earthquakes in the area that hit the Richter Scale last night. If we stay here any longer then it's only a matter of time before Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. show up looking for Skye!"

"Alright, thanks, Kara" called out Grant. "Get the car ready and pack everything up from your motel room. We'll meet you outside in about 15 to 20 minutes."

"Unless you're planning on engaging in another quickie then you can meet me outside in no more than 5 minutes" said Kara, sighing as she walked away and left them alone once more.

"Well, she certainly told us off..." laughed Skye, as she reluctantly untangled herself from around Grant and scooted off of the bed to hunt out her clothes from their now pretty much wrecked motel room. "...boy do I feel sorry for the cleaning lady that has to clean this room after we've long gone."

"I'm thinking it's going to take more than one cleaning lady to clean up the mess we created and possibly a re-decorator too" chuckled Grant, as he walked around the room after Skye, picking his clothes up as he went and slipping into them alongside her doing the same with her own. "It was definitely a night to remember though, right?"

"It sure was" said Skye, smiling a little shyly up at him. "And the morning too."

"I'm not gonna argue with you on that" said Grant, chuckling again. "Man, I can't wait for the next motel now for a repeat performance of last night."

"The next motel I'm going to go back to sharing a room with Kara..." said Skye, trailing off to glance over at him now fully dressed. "...because what happened between us last night and this morning can never happen again, Ward."

"Sure it can, Skye" said Grant, as he walked towards her after she'd finished getting dressed. "All we have to do is simply give in again."

"Give in to what though?" asked Skye, looking up at him and locking her eyes with his. "Our sexual desires or our hidden feelings?"

"Why not both?" asked Grant, as he reached out towards her and cupped her face in the palm of his hands, drawing her closer to him.

"Because one is more dangerous than the other" whispered Skye.

"Only if we let it" whispered Grant right back, as he leaned down to kiss her.

_"Stop it, Grant!"_ shouted Skye, as she pushed him away from her abruptly and stepped back. "We're not ready for anything more meaningful and you know we aren't! We can't indulge in anything more other than a few angry and desperate fucks here and there because the more we allow them to mean anything is the more we fall deeper for each other and screw everything up!"

"But what if it's worth it all?" asked Grant, swallowing thickly and never once taking his eyes off of hers. "Don't you want to try for something more at least?"

"No, I don't" said Skye honestly, despite the fact it broke her heart to be so honest with him. "Because the moment we do it will all go wrong. Just like every other time. Or don't you remember _'Maybe when this is all over we can get a drink you and me?' _and then don't forget later there was the whole _'It's different with us', _which led us to _'It's never a good time to start anything, but we've all gotta start somewhere, right?' _Oh, but wait a minute! Because I can't forget my personal favourite now can I and that's _'I was on a mission. It wasn't personal.'"_

"Ouch, Skye..." snorted Grant sarcastically. "...they were low blows and you know it, because I was nothing but truthful to you back then and I meant every word."

"They might be low blows but they're all what keeps me from actually starting anything more meaningful with you" said Skye, as she ran by him to head for the door. "Let's just forget this ever happened, okay? Because it was all one really big, drunken mistake!"

Grant currently felt as if a tight fist was squeezing his heart and lungs and making it almost impossible for him to breathe evenly anymore. Finally, though, he managed to speak before Skye opened the door and bolted outside. "I love you, Skye..." As soon as the words escaped from his mouth Grant felt the ground below him shake and crack beneath his feet, which made him stumble and look for something to grab a hold of, as the crack beneath his feet slowly continued cracking and spreading across the room.

"No, no, no, _NO!_ Why did you have to say that to me, Ward?! _You shouldn't have said that!"_ yelled Skye, tears cascading down her cheeks, as she continued to make the entire room shake ever so violently around her. "Take it back! _NOW!_ You have to take it back!"

"No, I can't take it back, because I promised you that I would never lie to you again..." said Grant, as he slowly started making his way towards her with his hands out in a sort of surrender, only to be stopped in his tracks from a loud _CRACK! _right under his feet, as the ground below him started to slowly spread apart. "...Skye, listen to me, okay? You need to calm down or you are going to tear this motel apart."

"It wouldn't be the first time I've done something like that..." said Skye, her face blank. "...because I'm the reason that The Playground no longer exists anymore."

"That's why you really ran from Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D., isn't it?" asked Grant, furrowing his brows at her. "Because you brought The Playground crashing to the ground?"

"Yeah, I did..." nodded Skye, closing her eyes at the memory returning to her. "...as well as one of my teammates. He was standing in the middle of the room like you are now and the ground was cracking below him ever so slowly. He just completely froze and wouldn't move. But no matter what I did I couldn't stop it. And then the ground gave way and he went with it. Everyone blamed me for his death and wanted me locked up and contained because I'd become a threat that needed to be neutralized if I couldn't be controlled. First I'm responsible for Tripp dying and then I'm responsible for another of my teammates deaths. But I didn't mean to do it!"

"Skye, it wasn't your fault, okay? You don't know how to control your powers yet, not properly, and there's nothing wrong with that. It just means we need to get you help and preferably off of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar..." said Grant tentatively, as he slowly started walking towards her again, breathing in deeply and sucking in his breath as the ground below him continued to crack. "...just breathe, Skye. Just breathe for me, baby, okay? You're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

"Nothing will ever be okay again..." said Skye, as she opened her eyes to lock with his and just as the earthquake that had engulfed the room started subsiding. "...because I'm a monster for what I've done."

"I've done a lot of questionable things myself too, Skye, so if anyone is a monster then it's me, not you..." said Grant, as he quickly closed the distance between them and pulled her out of the motel room until they were suddenly standing in the parking lot of the motel, where a clearly panicked looking Kara could be seen not far from them near their car and holding onto it for dear life. "...so maybe we can be monsters together? Never say never, right?"

"I don't think so..." said Skye ever so quietly, as she tugged herself free from his tight hold he had on her and stepped back with unshed tears in her eyes. "...I'm so, so sorry, Grant."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Skye" said Grant softly. "Everything is going to be okay. I'm gonna get you help for your powers, alright? We'll learn to control them together. All three of us. You, me and Kara. We're the hunted ones now, remember? We have to always stick together now no matter what."

Skye just shook her head at him. "No, because you're not safe with me. I'm a walking, talking natural disaster just waiting to happen! And I'll bet it's only a matter of time before I lose control too much during sex and kill us both, especially when I allow my emotions and what I really feel for you to get in the middle. You're my weakness, Grant, just as I'm yours. So trust me when I say that we're better off without each other."

_"NO!_ No, Skye! I can't lose you again-"

"I'm sorry, Grant, but this is the only way you and Kara will be safe from me accidentally killing you both next..." said Skye, as she interrupted him and promptly cut him off, backing further up and away from him towards the highway. "...just focus on getting Kara professional help in dealing with being brainwashed as well as her face back. Tell her goodbye from me, okay?"

"Skye, _wait!_ _Please!_ Don't do this, Skye! I promise-"

But Grant never got the chance to finish his sentence, due to Skye squeezing both of her hands into tight balls at either side of her and screaming an ear piercingly loud scream until she'd cracked the ground right down the middle in front of them and until it had completely ripped apart, therefore separating them from each other on different sides and making him fly backwards into Kara when she'd come running towards them, as she managed to catch him and steady him on his feet before he hit the ground.

Catching Skye's eyes with his when her screams subsided and she'd all but made it impossible for him to even vault over the massive divide in the ground between them without falling in and never materializing again Grant saw her mouth the words _'I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I love you too...'_ then the next thing he knew she was running.

And then in the mere blink of an eye Skye was gone._.._

...and Grant was left to collapse to his knees with no one but Kara by his side to console him.


	3. The Heart Wants What It Wants

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Heart Wants What It Wants  
**

* * *

After Skye had nearly destroyed the motel they'd been staying at by cracking the ground of the parking lot completely in half and making it borderline impossible for Grant to get to her she'd quickly fled and disappeared, leaving him to do nothing more than simply collapse to his knees over losing her after everything they'd recently been through together. If it hadn't of been for Kara practically dragging him to his feet and shoving him into the passenger seat of their car then he'd have been caught, captured and thrown right back into Vault D again by Coulson and May, who had shown up not long after Skye had fled to no doubt investigate all of the recent earthquakes in the area while they searched for Skye. But luckily for them both Kara had managed to make a speedy getaway before either of them were noticed and apprehended.

Grant had later figured it a good thing that he and Kara hadn't been spotted anywhere near the motel by Coulson or May, since he wasn't at all sure if Coulson or any of the others knew that Skye had been tagging along with him and Kara for the past couple of months now, so it was probably a good thing that none of them ever found out either, because if they ever did then Skye would instantly become a traitor to S.H.I.E.L.D. for hooking up with a HYDRA sleeper agent and whatever they were now classing Kara as, which was probably a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned HYDRA traitor, despite her brainwashing being the reason Coulson probably wouldn't care either way since he very rarely did these days.

Once they were far enough away from Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. and safe from discovery once more Kara had then booked them both into a new motel room with two single beds, since she'd decided that with the way Grant was currently feeling about Skye all but ditching them that he shouldn't be left on his own and needed some company whether he wanted some or not.

But all Grant had wanted was Skye.

Grant had promised Skye that he would never give up on her, that he'd always be there for her no matter what, that her powers didn't bother him in the slightest or even scare him, that she was still Skye to him and she always would be, and above all else he would never turn his back on her. And if there was one thing he intended to do then that was to keep every single one of those promises, because the one thing that Grant Douglas Ward had always been was a man of his word.

So with Kara's help he searched for Skye at every opportunity that he got, following any and every seismic activity no matter how small, hoping that he'd find her and that she was responsible for the big earthquakes here and the little earthquakes there.

But when it came to Skye if there was one thing she'd always been good at then it was staying hidden when she didn't want to be found.

* * *

2 weeks crawled by.

2 whole weeks and Grant didn't see or hear anything from Skye, making him fear constantly that she'd been re-captured by Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D._, _or worse, her crazy father Cal.

As each day passed him by all Grant could think about was Skye and the last words that she'd said to him, well, mouthed to him, being _'I love you too...', _which never once failed to bring a smile to his face knowing that deep down despite everything she said and everything that she claimed Skye _loved him. _And it was knowing that Skye loved him as much as he loved her being more than enough for Grant to never stop searching for her and never giving up on his hope that one day he'd find her again, because if it was the last thing that he ever did then he would find her again, and then once he had he'd never let her flee from him ever again.

"_Skye doesn't want to be found, Grant..."_ Kara had sighed heavily one day after yet another mini earthquake had led them both to nothing but a dead end. _"...so why do you constantly keep on torturing yourself looking for her?"_

"_Because the heart wants what it wants..."_ Grant had replied with a heavy sigh of his own. _"...and all my heart wants is Skye."_

Grant had never really known what love felt like until he'd met Skye. During his youth he'd mistaken lust for love like most young boys did and then when he'd gotten older he'd indulged in the odd meaningless one night stand here and there before simply reducing himself to nothing more than a pawn for both S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA when it came to seducing women for nothing but missions in order to get whatever information he'd required from them, or to keep them sweet from ever finding out what he was really up to like he had with Agent May. But when it came to Skye it was different. He felt more for Skye than he'd ever felt for any other woman in his life before. And he knew that what he felt for Skye was_ love,_ and not just any love, but _true love. _If Grant was ever the type of man to believe in soul mates then there would be no doubt in his mind that Skye was his.

* * *

Another 2 weeks with no leads on Skye soon flew him by, leaving Grant with a constant ache and tightening in his chest.

Kara had told him that what he now felt was pretty much a broken heart.

But all Grant knew was that if this was what a broken heart felt like then he hated it with a burning passion and all he wanted was to get rid of it. Though in order for his broken heart to even start to mend he first needed to find Skye.

But when you were searching for someone who was extremely good at staying hidden and obviously didn't want to be found, as Kara kept on pointing out to him, then how exactly was he ever going to find her again?

* * *

And when it came to Skye she was adamant that she didn't want to be found, and especially not by Grant.

After she'd focused and concentrated like she'd never done before in order to crack the ground right in front of her and Grant until it broke apart and divided them Skye had turned and ran. She'd run until she hadn't been able to run anymore and had slipped down an alleyway, slid down the wall and broken down into tears. All she'd wanted to do in that moment was run back to Grant, tell him she was sorry and hope that he could forgive her for what she'd done.

But she didn't.

Because Skye knew as soon as she did that she'd probably be caught and apprehended by Coulson and May who would no doubt have shown up by then to investigate all of the recent earthquakes in the area. As far as Skye was aware Coulson and the others had no clue that she had been travelling with Grant and Kara since fleeing S.H.I.E.L.D. and going on the run and if she could help it then they'd never find out either, because it was the last thing that she, Grant or Kara needed if they all wanted to remain free and safe since they were the hunted ones now and just like Grant had said they were.

Eventually Skye had managed to pull herself together long enough to hot wire a car and hit the open road to nowhere, not having a clue as to where she was going, only knowing that she needed to be as far away from Grant and Kara as possible for their own safety if anything. And even though it pained Skye to be separated from Grant after finally admitting that she loved him not only to herself but to him as well she knew deep down that it was for the best at the end of the day.

Skye never kept in one place for too long after that, knowing all too well if she did then it would only be a matter of time before Grant and Kara found her again, or if she was really unlucky then Coulson, everyone else at S.H.I.E.L.D. and on her once upon a team. She had no idea if Grant would even be looking for her, but she knew that Coulson most certainly would be due to him promising to do exactly that on the day that she'd brought The Playground crashing completely to the ground, thus killing one of her teammates in the process and then promptly fleeing straight afterwards when everyone that was left, well almost everyone, had demanded that she be neutralized if she couldn't be contained and controlled.

And if there was one thing that Skye knew how to do really well other than hacking into anything and everything then that was how to remain hidden.

* * *

It wasn't long before a whole 4 weeks had passed Skye by.

A whole 4 weeks of being on her own, completely alone and with only herself to blame.

The nights were the worst for Skye. Because it was the nights where she dreamed of Grant. She dreamed of simpler times when HYDRA was a thing of the past and everyone was happy. But soon those dreams would turn into their passionate night spent together, where she'd remember every touch, every caress, every kiss and every hard, deep thrust that would meld them together until they became one with each other. And it was those dreams that would cause Skye to wake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat as the motel room she was staying in would tremble and shake all around her, forcing her to flee in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, depending on how much damage she'd caused or how much attention she'd created from doing so before anyone that might be watching out for any and all seismic activity could find her.

It wasn't until a little over 4 weeks later that Skye had managed to gain at least some semblance of control when it came to her powers, as she slowly did her best to keep them at bay on her own and without professional help. Not that there was anyone she could turn to for help in controlling them without alerting Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. in the process, or hell, even HYDRA. But once she'd learned that her powers were mostly tied to her emotions that manifested whenever she was upset, angry or thought of Grant and their time spent together she'd learned to quell her anger as much as she could, stay away from anything that could potentially make her upset and do her utmost best to no longer think about Grant. But learning not to think about Grant was harder said than done, and most especially at night when her dreams would take over and leave her with little to no control.

* * *

Skye was now once again on her own, just like she'd been long ago before getting on Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar, with the only difference now being she constantly lived in and out of motels over her van. Boy oh boy did she miss that van of hers!

But most of all what Skye missed was Grant.

She'd never expected to fall in love with him, but she had. And not just any kind of love, but the completely head over heels, _irrevocably in love,_ kind of love. And it was the kind of love that Skye's heart refused to let her completely forget she felt for him, because even after everything they'd ever been through together the heart wants what it wants, and all Skye's heart wanted was Grant Ward.

But after over 4 weeks of staying hidden and off of everyone's radar, especially Grant's, then there was no reason for him to even still be searching for her. At least that's what Skye kept on telling herself, because after all, why would he even still want to find her anymore after everything she'd done to hurt him when all he ever did was love her?

* * *

After being on her own for a total of 6 weeks and keeping to herself as much as possible Skye had eventually settled down, albeit temporarily while she figured out exactly what she was going to do next, in a tiny town that was situated pretty much in the middle of nowhere, therefore making it impossible to find her and where she could cause the least amount of damage should she have any accidental slip ups when it came to her powers.

Stretching out lazily in her bed one morning Skye sighed to herself before swinging her legs off of the bed and standing to her feet. Leaving her little bedroom she padded through the small corridor passing the bathroom as she went and headed for the tiny kitchen that was attached to the just as tiny living room, since the small apartment that she lived in was exactly that, _small, _and merely consisted of nothing more than a living room with adjourning kitchen, alongside a bathroom and a bedroom, so pretty much the essentials and all that Skye needed right now until she'd figured out what her overall plan was going to be for the long run.

One thing Skye was certain of was that she didn't want to be on her own forever. There was no way she could go back to Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. unless she wished to be put down like a wounded horse. Grant and Kara had probably completely forgotten about her by now. And there was no way in hell she wanted to reunite with her father Cal. So that only really left Skye with..._Miles? _Yeah, maybe tracking down her ex-boyfriend Miles Lydon could be an option for her next. But not to get back together with because, _ugh no thanks, _but mostly if anything just for some company and because he was a familiar face she figured she could maybe still trust. But then again maybe not. Skye didn't really want to have to travel all the way to Hong Kong where he'd been stranded to find him, since that's where he should technically still be, but knowing Skye's luck he probably wasn't anymore.

Skye was soon snapped out of her thoughts from someone knocking lightly on her door. Quickly running back to her bedroom she retrieved her I.C.E.R. that she kept concealed under her pillow and then slowly made her way back towards the door, making sure that her I.C.E.R. was set to stun should she need to quickly incapacitate whoever was on the other side and praying to God that it wasn't Coulson or May. Taking a deep breath she stood her ground, unlocked the door, swung it open harshly and pointed it straight at who was on the other side, internally cursing the whole time that her dumb door didn't have a peephole for her to actually check who was waiting on the other side in advance.

"I've gotta say that preparing to shoot me with an I.C.E.R. is much better than preparing to shoot me with a real gun like that one time you did a few months back now..." smirked Grant with that cocky as all hell smile of his that he knew she secretly loved deep down. "...especially since getting over the stun from an I.C.E.R. is a lot less painful than getting over the pain from 4 bullets."

_"Grant..."_ whispered Skye ever so quietly, her heart practically skipping a beat at seeing him again after 6 weeks spent apart. _"...Grant?!"_

Grant could barely contain the wide smile that spread across his face upon hearing Skye call him by his first name over his surname not once, but _twice,_ because whenever she did his heart never failed to pound madly in his chest whenever he heard his first name slip from her lips. "Yes, Skye. It's me. I finally found you again."

"You should've stayed away, Grant..." said Skye faintly, as she slowly lowered her I.C.E.R., swallowing thickly while doing so. "...for your own safety if anything."

And then as soon as she allowed the warning to slip from her lips the ground below them both began to shake.


	4. Love Me Like You Do

**WARNING: This chapter contains ****SEXUAL CONTENT.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe. **

* * *

**Chapter 4: Love Me Like You Do  
**

* * *

"Skye, you need to calm down..." said Grant calmly, as he ever so slowly started walking towards her with his hands up in surrender. "...I'm not going to hurt you. So you don't need to make the ground start to shake like you are, okay?"

"I know you won't hurt me, Grant, because you'd never hurt me..." said Skye, swallowing thickly and locking her eyes with his when she looked up at him. "...but I can't stop the ground from shaking like I am because this is just the effect that you have on me lately."

"I'm flattered to know that I have such an effect on you" chuckled Grant softly, as he continued to approach her slowly. "But if you don't try to stop and calm down then you're going to bring on a mini earthquake and split the ground in two like you did back at the motel 6 weeks ago."

"And like I told you 6 weeks ago it wouldn't be the first time I've done something like that..." said Skye ever so quietly, as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and furrowed her brows in concentration in order to do her best to get the so far small shakes under better control. "...stopping it is easier said than done."

"Because you need someone that can help you learn to control what's happening to you" said Grant, his voice soft. "I know someone that can help you. You just have to trust me."

"_Trust you?!_" scoffed Skye, as she snapped her eyes open to look at him. "Yeah, sure, I'll just quite happily trust the guy that likes to kidnap me every now and then and take me to people that I don't particularly wanna meet. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll pass this time if you don't mind because the last time was a fucking nightmare."

"I didn't kidnap you. I simply kept my promise I'd made to you and that was to take you to your father" said Grant dryly. "And if you mean the first time we ever met was me kidnapping you from your van then if you remember correctly I actually had Coulson with me and he was the one behind that mastermind of a kidnapping back then, not me."

"Whatever, Ward. I'm not doing this with you, alright?!" snapped Skye, as the ground shook below her once more. "What are you even doing here?! How the hell did you find me?! And where is Kara?!"

"I'm here for you, Skye. I've been looking for you ever since you ran over 6 weeks ago now. I've been worried sick about you, okay?! You split the ground completely in two and then took off to god only knows where!" yelled Grant a little louder than he'd intended to, as he stepped inside of her tiny apartment and slammed the door shut behind him. "As for how I found you, well, that's taken me pretty much the whole 6 weeks. But I finally did, albeit with a little help, but I found you. And so here I am."

"Had help from who exactly?" asked Skye curiously, furrowing her brows at him in slight annoyance when he just entered her apartment without actually being asked if he could or not. Sighing to herself she then turned away from him briskly with a small eye roll to head on back to her tiny kitchen, tossing the I.C.E.R. she still held in her hand onto the two seater sofa in the adjourning living room as she passed it. "And you still haven't told me where Kara is. How come you two aren't travelling together anymore?"

"The help came from no one that you know. All you need to know for now is he's my friend, he's trustworthy and he wants to help you if you'd be willing to let him" replied Grant, as he followed her into the tiny kitchen, looking around her tiny apartment as he went. "As for Kara she's safe and with my friend who I trust to keep her safe while I'm here. We're still travelling together but she didn't come with me because she figured we needed to catch up privately."

Skye just snorted at hearing that. "I'm sure her exact words were more along the lines of she didn't come with you to reunite with me because she doesn't want to be subjected to all of our earth shattering sex again."

"You thought our sex was earth shattering?" asked Grant, a cocky grin spreading across his face, as he leaned back against the kitchen counter and propped himself up on his right elbow.

Skye just remained silent as she looked at him, her face blank and void of all emotion, before sighing deeply and turning away from him to pour herself a glass of water.

Grant couldn't help but smile to himself, his cocky grin getting bigger and even cockier if that was at all even possible, as he just watched her pouring herself a glass of water and taking in her appearance as he did so. She had her hair pulled back and tied up into a ponytail, something which he couldn't ever remember seeing her sport before, but regardless he liked the look. She was wearing a white t-shirt that clung to her curves perfectly and a tiny pair of white shorts to match that showed off her long, slender legs that left little to his imagination. She was also barefoot and if he wasn't mistaken she was also braless.

"Ward, you're staring..." said Skye, smirking a little to herself when he suddenly jerked his head back up to look at her.

"I'm not allowed to do that?" asked Grant, flashing her a cheeky wink. "I can't help it. You're beautiful, Skye."

Skye couldn't help but smile softly at him before taking a sip from her glass of water when she felt a small blush spread across her cheeks. As she sipped at her water she couldn't help but flicker her eyes back up and glance at him, taking in his own appearance while doing so. He was no longer the clean shaven Grant that she'd remembered him to be 6 weeks ago, as he now had stubble, but not too much, just enough that made him look quite rugged and handsome and like a right bad boy. He was wearing a tight fitting black t-shirt with a black leather jacket to match and navy blue jeans that clung to his lean hips. As she looked him up and down appreciatively she couldn't help but sigh a little contently.

"Skye, you're staring..." said Grant, mimicking her from before and chuckling softly, as he then flashed her another cheeky wink when she glanced up to face him.

"I guess two can play that game..." said Skye, failing to resist the urge to flash him a cheeky wink of her own. Placing her now empty glass in the sink next to her she then turned back to face him. "...anyway, you need to leave, Ward, because you can't stay here."

"I'm not leaving without you, Skye" said Grant with a shake of his head, as he stood up straight and started to slowly approach her. "And if you won't come with me then I guess me and Kara are just going to have to move into this really tiny apartment with you."

"You just don't get it, Ward" said Skye, sighing. "I don't want you here. I don't want you around me. I just want to be left alone."

"I don't believe you" said Grant, as he came to a halt in front of her and reached out to hook his finger under her chin so he could tilt her face up to face him when she looked away from him. "I know you love me, Skye. You told me that you did, remember?"

_"I did no such thing!"_ snapped Skye, as she pushed his hand away and took a few shaky steps backwards and away from him. "I've never told you that I love you!"

"You mouthed the words to me before you ran off" said Grant, frowning at her. "Don't even try to deny to me that you didn't, Skye. I'm pretty good at lip reading because as a specialist it's a pretty good talent to have as it allows us to spy on conversations when we're not quite near enough to actually hear them."

Skye just licked her lips and swallowed thickly. _Shit, shit, shit! He wasn't supposed to be able to understand me! _She would never have mouthed the words if she'd known he could actually understand her. Because Grant knowing that she loved him was something she didn't want him knowing and basically because of his refusal to leave her side, like he currently wouldn't, to which it would now no doubt be intensified with him knowing that she loved him just as much as she knew he loved her. But for his own safety he had to leave her, just like everyone that she loved did, because the fear of hurting anyone else accidentally that she loved one day terrified her more than she was willing to admit to even herself let alone anyone else.

"Hey, it's okay. I don't expect you to say it again, not unless you want to that is..." said Grant softly, reaching out towards her and cupping her face in the palm of his hands while smiling down at her tenderly. "...and I won't say it again to you. At least not until I know you're ready to hear it again."

"Just stop it, okay?! Just please fall out of love with me already because I don't deserve to be loved after everything that I've done!" yelled Skye, as she pushed him away from her rather harshly until he hit the back of the kitchen counter. "I'm not worth being loved, Ward! And the sooner you realise that then the better for us both!"

"You don't think that _you_ deserve to be loved?! How can you say that about yourself, Skye?!" exclaimed Grant incredulously. "You're amazing and perfect and you deserve all of the love in the world! It's people like _me_ that don't deserve to be loved, especially by people as amazing and as perfect as _you!"_

"But you're not a monster like me though" said Skye sadly. "So you do deserve to be loved unlike me."

"You aren't a monster, Skye" sighed Grant deeply, as he walked towards her to pull her into his arms for a comforting hug, but failed in doing so due to Skye shaking her head at him and dodging his attempts by backing away from him and around the kitchen counter into the adjourning living room. "You're not capable of anything even remotely monstrous so stop believing that you are."

"You have_ NO_ idea of what I am truly capable of, Ward, because if you did then trust me when I say you wouldn't anything more to do with me!" yelled Skye, as she spun around to face him with tears forming behind her eyes and threatening to fall at any given second. "I completely destroyed The Playground and nearly killed everyone in the process! And I'm a murderer because I actually succeeded when it came to killing at least one of my teammates!"

"You keep on bringing that up, yet you never elaborate any further" said Grant, brows furrowing, as he walked around the kitchen counter and over towards her. "I know that it's the real reason why you ran from Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. And it's nothing to be ashamed of. I know you, Skye. I know you well enough to know that it won't have been your intention to destroy The Playground or to kill someone, because it was accidental and something that no one should blame you for, and especially not Coulson and the team."

"Yeah, well, everyone turns their back on me eventually. I'm used to it by now" sighed Skye deflatedly. "I guess I wasn't a good enough fit after all. It's like I once told you that hoping for something and then losing it hurts more than never hoping for anything."

"Not everyone has turned their back on you, Skye, because regardless of everything that's ever happened between us I'm still right here by your side despite your best attempts to get rid of me not working" said Grant lightly, chuckling a little. "I know what it's like to lose people that you care about, to have them turn their backs on you when you need them the most and then to betray you. I know what it's all like because it's happened to me a lot over the years and then I've turned around and done the exact same thing myself. But at the end of the day all you need is one person still in your corner. You still have that, Skye, because I'm right here standing in front of you. And I always will. I promise you."

"Even if I'm a murderer?" asked Skye quietly, smiling up at him as she did so. She truly appreciated everything that he'd said to her and if she was truly honest with herself she was grateful deep down that she still had Grant in her life and that he'd never stopped searching for her. After everything she'd done to him and put him through she didn't deserve him, yet here he was standing in front of her despite everything and promising that he wouldn't leave her. "Because accident or not I'm still a murderer."

"All S.H.I.E.L.D_._ agents are when you allow yourself to think about it" said Grant, shrugging indifferently. "We've all got red in our ledgers. Sometimes we can't wipe it out no matter what we do but we can learn to live with it. I don't care what you are or what you've done, Skye, and especially not since I know I've done a lot worse than you over the years. I'm never gonna abandon you. Please believe me."

"Everyone on the team said that to me after I changed..." said Skye, sighing sadly, as she turned away from him to walk over to the two seater sofa and flop down onto the left hand side. "...and then I killed Hunter and they all turned on me like a pack of vultures."

"Hunter? Whose Hunter?" asked Grant, frowning, as he sat down beside her on her right hand side. "I don't know anyone called Hunter."

"Lance Hunter, mercenary, brought onto the team by Coulson while you were still locked up in Vault D" said Skye, glancing over at him. "He wasn't an agent. But he still joined the team. He was my friend and I killed him when I destroyed The Playground_._ But I didn't mean to. It was an accident."

"I think I know who you mean now" said Grant, nodding at her. "I vaguely remember him following me after I'd escaped. He was wearing a ridiculous cowboy hat that he just couldn't pull off properly."

"Yeah, that sounds like Hunter" said Skye, laughing, as she then stopped and bit down on her bottom lip before finally confiding in the rest of what had happened to him. "I didn't mean to hurt him or anything. I was just having a really bad day and my powers were being affected by my emotions and then I had this dumb fight with Simmons. I got upset and everything on the base started to shake. He tried to calm me down but I just wouldn't listen and then the next thing I know the ground was cracking below him. He completely froze in shock or fright or both combined. And then suddenly I had Coulson, May, Simmons, Fitz, Bobbi and Mack all yelling at me from different angles on how I had to control myself, to calm down and to stop or they would all make me."

"So they threatened to stop you if you didn't stop yourself? Naturally it just made you even angrier and no doubt terrified of them all in that moment" said Grant, as he shuffled closer towards her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, Skye. You don't have to tell me the rest as I can pretty much guess. You've already told me back at the motel that the ground gave way and he went with it."

"Yeah, that was it. Anyway, afterwards they all tried to contain me. Mack kept on saying that I was dangerous and a threat to the whole team and Simmons actually agreed with him, backing him up and everything. May just seemed really wary around me without actually saying anything. Fitz tried to protect me like he always has but no one was listening to him. And Bobbi..." said Skye, wiping away her falling tears with her right hand. "...Bobbi just lost it completely and tried to kill me. Hunter was her ex-husband and they'd kinda rekindled their relationship so to say she was pissed at losing him was an understatement. I managed to get away by creating another mini earthquake to distract her and then I just ran. The last thing I remember hearing as I ran was Coulson yelling after me that he would find me again and the outcome wouldn't be pretty."

"Good ole' Coulson!" scoffed Grant bitterly. "That's all he's capable of now. Turning his back on you when the going gets tough and you basically become expendable to him. After all it's what he did with me and pretty much Kara too."

"I'm on the Index now" said Skye, glancing back over towards him. "Coulson placed me on it after my powers first started to manifest. I'm officially down as a Gifted. And I'll bet I've been re-added as a dangerous one now too."

"It's like I said we're the hunted ones now" said Grant, flashing her a weak smile. "And that's why you can't run away from me again, Skye. You need me and Kara just as much as we need you. We're on the run and all we have is each other."

"That may be true but you're still both better off without me and you need to start realising that already" sighed Skye frustratedly. "I could hurt you one day without meaning to and if I ever did it'd destroy me, especially now, after everything we've been through and how close we became before I ran away."

"I trust you, Skye" said Grant sincerely, as he took a hold of her hands in his and squeezed them tightly. "I trust you never to hurt me, accidental or on purpose."

"You really trust the woman that once shot you 4 times?" asked Skye, scrunching her nose up at the memory. "Hence, I've already hurt you once before."

"Call me crazy, but..." said Grant, trailing off to lean forwards and place a soft kiss atop her scrunched up nose since she looked far too cute doing so for him to resist the urge. "...yeah, I do. I trust you never to hurt me like that again."

"Then you're a sucker for punishment, Grant Ward!" said Skye, shaking her head at him and laughing. "Though I honestly have no intention of ever shooting you like that again. I promise you, Grant."

"I love it when you call me Grant" smiled Grant. "It's a lot more personal than just simply Ward."

"We're no longer agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. therefore there's no point anymore in being all professional and formal when it comes to names..." said Skye, biting down on her bottom lip and edging a little closer to him. "…besides, our relationship hasn't been professional for a long time now."

"Come with me, Skye..." whispered Grant against her lips when she got even closer to him. "…just leave here and come with me."

"Where would we go?" asked Skye, her lips lightly brushing against his in a soft kiss.

"I have a friend who can help you with your powers" replied Grant, smiling as he too brushed a soft kiss against her lips. "You'll be safe at his place. It's where Kara is right now. He's helping her too. I promise you that we'll all be safe. He has the resources to keep us well hidden from Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I'll think about it" said Skye, as she manoeuvred herself onto his lap and straddled him with her hips. "But right now I think we need a proper reunion and need to stop being all doom and gloom with each other."

"Skye, I want more from you than just simply sex..." sighed Grant, as he leaned back against the sofa and rested his hands lightly atop her bare thighs.

"I still don't think we're ready for more…" said Skye honestly, sighing herself. "...but I guess maybe we could try."

"Do you really mean that?" asked Grant, a wide smile spreading across his face. "You really wanna try?"

"After everything I have ever done to you you've never once given up on me and you still refuse to now" said Skye, smiling down at him. "So, yeah, I mean it. What's the worst that can happen that hasn't already?"

"We become each other's complete and utter downfall with only ourselves to blame" replied Grant, chuckling softly while shrugging lazily.

"It's too late for that..." said Skye, a small smirk playing about her lips, as she leaned down to kiss him. "...because we already are."

As Skye kissed him Grant couldn't help but wrap his arms around her and pull her against him, his tongue finding her own with a shudder that quaked through him like a powerful rift in the earth's core, as Skye never failed to stir up a hunger buried deep inside of him. Sighing against her lips he gripped her more tightly until she started struggling against him a little.

"Easy there, big guy, because I'm not going anywhere" purred Skye against his lips. "Not again. Mmkay?"

"Just shut up and kiss me again" growled Grant low in his throat.

"You're so demanding! I gotta be honest and admit that I kinda love it because it's quite hot!" giggled Skye, as she did as he asked of her and kissed him again.

Skye's lips were soft and moved with his own oh so perfectly, almost as if they were made for each other and no one else. Running his hands over her back Grant dared to slip one underneath her white t-shirt, stroking up and down her spine with his fingertips ever so slowly and smiling to himself when he felt her shiver against him, moaning deeply into his mouth as she did so. Raw need now blinded him as he imagined removing her tiny white shorts, lowering her beneath him on the sofa and then entering her hard and fast in the hope of satisfying the now building formidable hunger that gripped them both.

Breaking their kiss Skye pulled back to smile down at him. "We should move this into my bedroom."

"Or we could just defile your sofa because I'm sure it won't mind" grinned Grant a little devilishly.

"I doubt it'd mind but trust me when I say that my bed is more comfortable" laughed Skye, as she pushed herself off of him and stood to her feet, holding her left hand out towards him as she did so. "You coming or not?"

"I'd be a downright fool to turn you down" said Grant, still grinning, as he stood to his feet and took a hold of her hand in his. "Lead the way."

Skye couldn't help but smile widely as she led the way through her tiny apartment into her tiny bedroom and that just so happened to be large enough to have a big double bed. She knew that after 6 weeks of neither of them being with each other intimately then it was no doubt going to be a wild encounter between the sheets and one She was really looking forward to if she was honest with herself, because there was no denying the fact that Grant was an incredible lover and definitely the best she'd ever had. But she wasn't going to tell Grant that, because he already had a big enough ego as it was at the best of times and it definitely didn't need being made any bigger because then he'd just be too much of a cocky little shit for his own good.

As they entered Skye's bedroom together and got closer towards the bed Grant reached out towards her and pulled her back against him, her back hitting his chest, as he pressed his hips against hers and allowed her to feel exactly what she did to him. Sliding his right arm around her waist he then tilted her head around to face him with his free hand, kissing her softly and deeply, his tongue lightly ghosting against her own.

"Mmm, you sure know how to kiss a girl well" murmured Skye, moaning deeply.

"No, _we _know how to kiss well..." corrected Grant, smiling down at her, as he allowed his hand that was hooked under her neck to slide down past her breasts until he'd sought out one of her pert little nipples and stroked it.

_"Oh! _I love it when you do that!" groaned Skye, as she arched her back against his firm chest. "Please don't stop!"

"I don't plan on stopping unless you tell me to" said Grant, as he suddenly scooped Skye up into his arms with no warning, which made her squeal loudly and cling to him tightly. Striding towards the bed he gently lowered her down on top of it and hovered over her, grinning as he kissed the tip of her nose and smiling to himself when she scrunched it up cutely like she had a habit of doing lately. And then like a man desperate for a lifeline he took her mouth in a possessive kiss.

Skye immediately felt her legs weaken over Grant's possessive kiss while being more than thankful that she was already on her back and lying down because if she hadn't of been then she would've surely crumbled to the floor in mere seconds. She groaned in frustration when Grant suddenly broke their kiss and sat upright to pull off his black leather jacket and discard it to the ground afterwards. As he moved to lift up his black t-shirt she couldn't resist reaching out to him and helping him to frantically lift it up and over his head, tossing it to the ground once it was no longer of use and then marvelling at his toned and muscular chest coming into her line of vision. Soon he was back capturing her face in the palm of his hands and tilting her mouth up to his so he could slide his tongue between her lips and stroke the inside of her mouth teasingly.

Pulling back from her with a moan Grant rested his forehead against hers in order to steady his breathing before speaking. "Tell me now before we go any further if I need to stop and rush out to buy condoms."

Skye couldn't help but smile up at him and giggle a little at the pained look he flashed her. "No, we don't need condoms" she finally replied with a shake of her head. "I'm still on the pill so you can relax. I've got us covered just like I did last time back at the motel."

"As happy as I am to hear that I've still gotta ask why exactly you need to be on the pill after leaving me 6 weeks ago if you aren't having regular sex with anyone?" asked Grant, frowning down at her.

"Because it's a wise precaution for all women to keep themselves regularly on the pill and protected just in case they find themselves in a situation like this" said Skye, smirking up at him. "Besides, I've got the implant in my arm so I can't forget to take it. I gotta have it changed every 3 months, which is pretty easy as any doctor will do it after I've supplied them with a fake name and fake medical records and then I'm all good to go."

"Alright, I believe you" chuckled Grant, as he slid a hand beneath her shirt and twirled the tip of one of her erect nipples around with his thumb, happy to find like he'd thought before that she was indeed braless. "You drive me insane, Skye. You always have."

"I'd say that's a good thing" said Skye huskily, as she arched her back and reached up to glide her fingers through his hair.

Bending his head Grant sealed his lips over Skye's ever so tenderly, smiling into their kiss when he felt Skye do the same. She tasted like absolute heaven to him. It was now that he realised just how much he truly wanted her. Hell, how much he'd wanted her for the last 6 weeks. It had been pure torture for him not being able to hold her in his arms, kiss her, touch her, thrust himself inside of her over and over again and until he'd teased her into a writhing wreck beneath him.

The nights had always been the worst for Grant, since it was always the nights when he'd dreamed of her the most, remembering their passionate night together and waking up in a cold sweat of tangled sheets and a hard on like no other he'd ever had before. He'd lost count of how many times throughout those 6 weeks he'd had to spring from his bed without waking up Kara from hers not far from him and then disappear into the bathroom to relieve himself of his pent up frustrations while thinking of no one but Skye the whole time.

Soon time seemed to slow between them to the point when he didn't even seem to exist anymore. All Grant was now aware of was Skye and the sweetness of her mouth moving in tune with his own. He could barely think straight at this point. And then he stopped thinking altogether when Skye's fingers crossed the back of his neck and she nibbled on his lower lip. Opening his mouth to her with a sigh he let her deepen their kiss as much as she desired. In that moment all Grant was aware of was that he _needed _this just as much as he knew that Skye did. To hell with the real world and if they were even in the right place to be together now or later, because right here, right now, it was just the two of them.

And they were gonna make each other forget everything around them but each other.

Breaking their kiss to chew on her bottom lip in what she hoped was in a seductive way Skye smiled up at him a little lazily while gliding her fingers up and down his muscular chest, tweaking his nipples as she went. As her fingers went ever lower she soon hooked them under the belt on his jeans and pulled it off of him in a flourish, throwing it to the ground once done and then returning to work the zipper to his jeans.

Reaching his hands down Grant stilled her hands with his own and a shake of his head. "Not so fast there, sweetheart. I wanna see some of you first, Skye."

"What are you waiting for then?" asked Skye, her tone of voice slightly raspy, as she lifted her arms up above her head so he could help ease her out of her t-shirt.

Slowly Grant reached out and hooked his fingers under her t-shirt, as he eased it slowly up, dipping his head and trailing a line of soft kisses along her stomach and up between her breasts as he went until he'd eased her right out of it and tossed it to the ground when it became irrelevant to him. "God, you're so damn beautiful..." he all but whispered, as he traced a necklace of tender kisses around her throat, smiling to himself when he felt Skye slide her fingers back into his hair and urged him to continue. He soon felt her shiver in his arms when he licked a sensitive spot on her neck.

All Skye felt right now was _need. _A desperate need for Grant and Grant alone. A need for him to cover her body with his and make love to her, filling her completely and pushing all of her fears and worries about how they shouldn't be together because the timing was bad to the very back of her mind, because whenever they made love that's exactly what he managed to do for her as much as she believed she no doubt managed to do for him too. Sliding her arms around his neck she brushed her mouth against his until he finally kissed her again. She soon groaned in frustration when he broke their kiss abruptly to move downwards and practically nuzzle his face in between her breasts which made her giggle. _"Grant!_ What the hell are you doing?! _That tickles!"_

Grant couldn't help but smile when he heard his first name slip ever so casually from her lips. "I just really love your breasts. I'm not even sorry. They're just so perfect. If I were to suddenly die in between them right now then I'd be dying in heaven that's for sure."

"You're such a goofball!" giggled Skye, as she tugged him by his hair to look up at her again. "Just make love to me already."

"Make love, huh?" grinned Grant, kissing her. "It's no longer simply having sex?"

"It was never just sex between us to begin with..." smiled Skye. "...but let's just not, y'know, say the actual L word or anything because, like, I know you do and you know I do so let's just leave it at that for now and enjoy ourselves, okay?"

"Okay" nodded Grant, smiling down at her. "I get it. You wanna take things slow."

"Exactly" said Skye, nodding back at him. "Let's just go slow for now until we, y'know, start being all overly mushy with each other and things like that."

"Fine with me" chuckled Grant softly, as he cupped her breasts in his hands and gave them both a tight squeeze. Dipping his head he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked hard. He felt Skye shudder beneath him as his tongue circled her areola and skated over the tip of her breast, as he then moved along to do the exact same to her other nipple.

"Unf, _Grant!"_ gasped Skye, as she writhed beneath him. "You're such a_ fucking_ tease!"

"Says the woman who for some reason smells of vanilla which is proceeding to drive me absolutely crazy because, _damn, _Skye, you smell so fucking good!" growled Grant, as he crawled up her body and nipped at her collarbone with his teeth.

"That'll be my shampoo you can smell as it's vanilla scented" drawled Skye, her fingers digging sharply into his back. "But seriously, Grant, I want you so much right now that I can barely take it anymore."

"Believe me, babe, the feeling is mutual..." drawled Grant right back, his voice deep and husky with desire.

With slightly shaking hands Skye reached down and undid the button on Grant's jeans before then lowering the zip to his zipper, pushing his jeans down his hips along with his briefs until Grant took over for her and kicked them both off the rest of the way to the floor near their other discarded clothes. It took him only a few seconds after that to ease her out of her shorts and slide them down her long, slender legs to then throw them aside and not care in the least where they happened to land.

And then before Skye knew it she felt the touch of his mouth at the back of her left knee that made her utter a sound so incomprehensible even she couldn't decipher it. Just _fuck _because since when the hell did _that particular spot _become such an erotic one?!

Grant's fingers soon started to cruise up the inside of Skye's left thigh as tauntingly as they possibly could. He didn't even try to disguise the massive grin that spread across his face at seeing Skye stretch out her arms above her head and grip the pillows behind her tightly in her hands, moaning softly and arching her back just as the room shook ever so lightly around them. "I was wondering how long it'd take you to make the earth start to quake."

"Oh, _shut up!_ I'm actually trying to control my powers and not let things like that happen so don't encourage me!" groaned Skye just as a picture on the wall behind them fell to the ground with a loud _CRASH! _"Ugh! _Fuck!"_

"Relax, Skye, you know I don't mind the quakes, shakes, tremors, trembles, or whatever else you can do, and I never will" said Grant reassuringly, meaning every word since what Skye was now capable of doing really didn't bother him in the slightest. He soon crawled back up her body and kissed her passionately.

"I know you don't, but I do..." said Skye when they pulled apart for air. "...I hate them, Grant. I hate them all so much. I don't want them. I'll never accept them."

"I know, baby, I know" said Grant softly, as he rubbed his nose against hers lovingly. "I'm gonna get you help and it'll all be okay."

"I trust you" smiled Skye, as she rubbed her own nose against his just as lovingly. "Now make love to me, Grant. _Please."_

Grinning down at her wickedly Grant slid his right hand down between her thighs and entered her with two fingers, cupping her aching and wet core and soon feeling the pulse start to beat and throb erratically between his teasing fingers.

"Oh _god, _yes, that feels, _yeah! _Oh, _fuck, _oh god_,_ _YES!"_ panted Skye, unable to get the words out all in one sentence and for them to even make much sense for that matter.

"I take it you like this, huh?" drawled Grant huskily, brushing his mouth hotly against hers and feeling her breath hiss out of her when he drew one finger along her clit, nearly bringing her to the edge right then and there, but not quite, though the room around them did shake a little violently before stopping when Skye fisted her palms together tightly and seemed to be concentrating really hard to stop the shaking.

Skye couldn't remember when the last time was that she'd felt this turned on by a guy before. She could currently feel every pulse in her body practically _humming _like a Hummingbird, as it yearned for Grant and everything he was currently doing to her. "Grant, _please,_ I need you inside of me! _NOW!"_

"You mean like this?" asked Grant, as he teasingly slipped a finger deep inside of her.

_"Jesus, fuck!"_ gasped Skye, her breathing heavy and ragged. _"NO!_ It's not enough! I need more! I just need _YOU!"_

Slipping his fingers out of her Grant crawled up her body once more and kissed her hard and passionately until they were both breathless, as he then more than happily positioned himself firmly between her inviting thighs that were spread wide apart just for him.

And then nothing else in the world around them seemed to even matter anymore, as Grant thrusted into Skye as deeply as he could and took her in a nearly heart stopping way, the bedroom around them shaking harshly every so often as Skye either pretty much just lost control or no longer cared and gave up trying to stop the shaking altogether.

Skye's hands travelled up Grant's back, her fingers dancing along his skin, as they moved together in sync, hips grinding wildly against each other until they were slick with each other's sweat and so close to the inevitable edge of pure release.

As they continued to move together Grant's tongue teased Skye's own relentlessly as their passionate kisses deepened.

Now would be the point where Skye would normally lift her legs up to wrap them tightly around Grant's waist and hold him firmly in place, but this time she didn't, as she instead just hunched them up slightly so her feet were resting atop the bed and then she spread her legs even further apart until they were completely spread out and allowing Grant easier access to just thrust himself in and out of her with ease, sliding against her sleek wetness and making not only his hard cock but the bedsheets below them both completely slick with it.

They'd been separated from each other for over 6 weeks and yet despite it all their bodies became one with each other instantly and like they'd never even been separated in the first place. It was now becoming more and more obvious for them both that neither of them would be able to last much longer.

And they were right.

Holding onto each other as if their whole lives depended on it they came together hard and passionately, their orgasms gripping them both at the same time, with gasps, groans and moans slipping from both of their mouths raggedly along with the cries of their names combined until they were both completely lost in ecstasy and with the bedroom around them lightly shaking.


	5. We're Stronger Together Than Apart

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
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**Chapter 5: We're Stronger Together Than Apart  
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Slowly waking up Skye stretched out, yawned and then promptly rolled over in her bed, only to be met with the firm, muscular chest of Grant who had been lying behind her, his right arm draped casually over her waist. "Your chest is so firm..." drawled Skye rather lazily, since she was pretty much still half asleep.

"Thank you" chuckled Grant, inching a little closer to her and draping his right arm further around her waist. "I see lil' miss sleepyhead is finally waking up after her 5 hour nap."

"I blame you entirely for how long I slept since you insisted on making love to me for 4 long, amazing hours before you would let me sleep" murmured Skye against one of his biceps as she placed a soft kiss atop it. "You tired me out. I think I deserved my 5 hour nap thank you very much."

"Well, now that you happen to be awake again perhaps we can go for another 4 hour round?" suggested Grant huskily, as he slipped his hand around her back and slowly trailed it down, massaging and squeezing her bottom when he got low enough before pulling his hand back and then bringing it right back down again to slap her hard on her left butt cheek.

"_Grant!" _giggled Skye at having her butt slapped and just as the bed they were lying in shook and rattled, making her grip Grant tightly and burrow her face into his chest.

"Oops!" chuckled Grant, as he rested his head atop hers and placed a soft kiss into her messy hair which he'd long since freed from the ponytail she'd be wearing hours ago. As much as he'd loved seeing Skye wear her hair up in a ponytail he loved seeing her hair all free and loose more as it trailed down her back, down to her breasts and even spread out over the pillows whenever he had her flat on her back writhing beneath him.

"I swear you're insatiable when it comes to sex" sighed Skye against his chest, though not in an annoyed way, but more so a contented way. "Haven't you had enough of me yet?"

"I hate to break it to you, babe, but I'll never have enough of you" said Grant, as he placed another kiss to her hair. "Besides, we were apart for over 6 weeks, which in my personal opinion was time completely spent wasted when we could've been making love the whole time. So now I'm pretty just making up for all of that lost time. Are you really complaining?"

"I'm not complaining! I'm just exhausted!" exclaimed Skye, as she internally rolled her eyes at the triumphant smirk he was now no doubt sporting. "I'm gonna need coffee and food before any more passionate rounds between the sheets."

"Fine with me" said Grant, as he hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face up to face him. "But you better be stocked up on food since I don't really want to be too far away from the bed for too long."

"Play your cards right and I might just let you take me spread out over the kitchen counter" purred Skye seductively, as she leaned up to kiss him deeply and nipped at his bottom lip when she pulled away.

"I'm so going to hold you to that" growled Grant, as he captured her mouth in another deep kiss and nipped at her bottom lip when he pulled away just like she had with his.

"I'm sure you will" smiled Skye. "But for now get on your back."

"Is my compliance going to be rewarded again if I do?" asked Grant, grinning cockily, as he did as he was told and rolled onto his back.

"Nope!" said Skye, popping the _'p'_, as she curled herself against his side, lifted her left leg up to wrap around his waist, draped her left arm across his chest and then rested her head in the crook between his neck and shoulder. "Mmm, this is nice."

"Are you trying to make me a cuddler?" asked Grant, chuckling, as he more than happily wrapped his left arm around her waist and propped himself up a little by placing his right arm under his head.

"If you're going to be with me in the long run then you're going learn that I like to cuddle" said Skye, as she placed a soft kiss to the base of his throat. "Especially after sex, because it makes everything more intimate."

"I don't mind if the woman I'm cuddling is you" said Grant honestly. "But truthfully I'm already pretty much used to you cuddling me since that's all you did throughout the 5 hour nap you took."

Skye just smiled against his neck and remained silent, simply revelling in the feeling of contented bliss washing over her of being so intimately joined to the man that she loved, as he trailed his fingers lightly up and down her spine. If she'd been asked months ago if she ever saw herself sharing a bed with the man that had betrayed her and broken her heart she'd have called you crazy on the spot and told you she would never be that dumb enough to ever trust him again, but yet here she was doing exactly that and still not quite believing it herself at times.

But things had changed now between them and she truly believed that she could trust him, even if she did still have a small niggling doubt plaguing the back of her mind that was screaming out for her to be careful when it came to him and above all else to not let him weave himself too far into her heart again. Though when Skye thought about it that last part was now pretty much borderline impossible, because after everything they'd recently been through together and all of the times they'd now made love to each other then it was safe to say that Grant Douglas Ward was now forever imprinted on her heart and just as she imagined he now no doubt had her name forever imprinted on his.

She'd agreed to try and start a relationship with him, despite both of them knowing deep down that it wasn't a good idea, as they were still pretty toxic for each other in the long run, but regardless she'd agreed and there was no going back now. But even Skye knew that she couldn't truly start something with Grant when she was keeping the true nature of what she really was from him and exactly what she was capable of doing. _I guess if he doesn't run for the hills once he knows the whole truth regarding what I can do and what I've done then he really does love me… _

Taking a deep breath Skye released it a little shakily. "Grant?"

"Mm?" Grant replied a little lazily, since he'd been on the verge of drifting back off to sleep when he'd heard Skye call his name. "What's up, Buttercup?"

"You did not just call me Buttercup" snorted Skye, nipping at his nipple closest to her mouth as a form of punishment and smiling at the slightly tortured groan he released upon her doing so.

"It's very hard coming up with nicknames for you" said Grant, slapping her bottom harshly as his own form of punishment for her nipping at his nipple. "And yet you have a whole load for me."

"Whatever, Turbo" said Skye, giggling softly, as she placed her hand on his chest and then rested her head atop it so she could look up at him looking down at her. "I need to tell you something."

"Okay..." said Grant, frowning slightly since he sensed whatever she was going to tell him next was pretty serious. "...what is it?"

"I lied to you..." admitted Skye ever so quietly, hoping above hope that he hadn't really heard her. "...I'm sorry, Grant."

"Lied to me about what?" asked Grant tentatively, as he reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear so it was out of her face. He failed to stop his heart from lurching harshly in his chest and out of fear that she might be about to admit to him that she didn't really love him after all and had changed her mind about starting something more meaningful with him.

"About what really happened at The Playground that forced me to flee from the team and leave S.H.I.E.L.D. behind for good" said Skye, swallowing a little thickly. "I omitted some of the truth. I didn't tell you everything."

Grant couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief that what she'd wanted to confide in him wasn't what he'd thought after all. "What do you mean, Skye? You can tell me anything. You know that, right? I'm not going to judge you for anything that you've done. After everything I've done in the past then I'm the last person that should be judging anyone else."

"When I called myself a monster earlier you said I shouldn't think like that because I wasn't capable of anything monstrous" said Skye, swallowing nervously and licking her lips. "I then told you that you had no idea what I was now truly capable of. And that's what I omitted from you, what I lied to you about and what I've been keeping from you. I'm afraid that despite what you say you'll hate me when you know the whole truth and become scared of what I can really do. Or of what I've already done."

"Skye, believe me when I say that there is nothing you can say or do that is going to make me hate you or to become scared of you" said Grant, truly meaning every word, since that's what he truly believed. "You can tell me anything and it will never change how I feel about you."

"You say that now" sighed Skye, as she pulled away from him to sit up and wrap the sheet from her bed tightly around herself, since being as naked as she was suddenly made her feel more vulnerable than she'd ever felt before. "I really am a monster, y'know? Or at least I am in the making."

"No, Skye, you aren't" said Grant softly, as he sat up and propped himself back against the headboard. Once settled he reached out towards her and tugged her gently onto his lap until she had her back and head leaning against his chest. Placing a tender, loving kiss to her left cheek he then wrapped his arms around her as protectively as he could. "Tell me whatever you feel like sharing. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."

Before she spoke Skye brought her hands up to his arms and gripped them tightly, as she then relaxed back into his protective embrace. "Everything that I've already told you about how I'm responsible for Hunter dying and then destroying The Playground was the truth. I never lied about any of that as that all really happened. I lied to you about how I got away from Bobbi."

"Bobbi was Hunter's ex-wife, right?" asked Grant, furrowing his brows. "I met her once the day he tried and failed to pull off the cowboy look. She was pretending to read a book but gave herself away by never turning the page and remaining on the same one the whole time."

"Yeah, she told us that was how you got her" laughed Skye softly. "It bugged her for weeks that was how you busted her."

"I'm a stickler for details" chuckled Grant. "And she's just a really bad spy."

"She's probably not much of anything anymore..." said Skye, trailing off when her breath hitched in her throat.

"What do you mean?" asked Grant curiously. Sensing her tense up slightly he dipped his head to place another tender and soft kiss against her cheek to silently encourage her to continue.

"The day that I lost control of my powers like I never had before I'd been having a fight with Simmons. Ever since Tripp died and I emerged from the temple changed after being subjected to that weird mist from The Diviner she was scared of me, just like everyone else on the team was. But she was also trying to constantly fix me, like I was broken or something. She hated the change more than anyone on the team. She was no longer the Simmons that I remembered. It was really starting to get me to how she'd been treating me, mainly behind my back as it was never really to my face, and it led to this screaming match between us that resulted in me making the base start to shake" said Skye shakily, as she closed her eyes at the memory of that fateful day returning to her. "Hunter came running into the lab and tried his best to get me to calm down. And I think it would've worked if Simmons hadn't of told him not to bother because no matter what he did I was basically like The Hulk now and I could no longer be controlled. Hunter told her to shut up, to be quiet, but it was too late because the ground was already starting to crack. And then before I knew it I had everyone around me, screaming at me to stop, to reign it in and to calm down or they'd find a way to make me. But I couldn't stop it and I lost control. The ground gave way completely near Hunter and he went with it."

"It wasn't your fault, Skye, alright? So don't you dare blame yourself" said Grant comfortingly into her ear, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck, as he kept his arms wrapped tightly around her. "I don't think there's anything that you could've done to have stopped that from happening."

"Everyone turned on me almost instantly afterwards except Fitz and May, as Fitz tried his best to protect me and calm everyone down while May just remained out of my way and kept quiet because she didn't know what to do anymore" said Skye, a few stray tears starting to slip down her cheeks. "And then Bobbi just completely snapped, turned on me and tried to kill me while she no doubt avenged Hunter. It's what happened after that I've kept from you, because I don't even know how to explain it because I'm not quite sure how I even did it."

"Just take your time and explain it slowly, because I'm not going anywhere" said Grant encouragingly, lifting his head up to glance sideways at her, as he then rested his chin lightly on her shoulder.

"All I remember is looking at her as she was running towards me with her batons out ready to attack me when she got close enough. And as she got closer I remember thinking if only she'd stop and collapse to the ground and then the next thing I remember is thinking of her heart being crushed from the inside out..." said Skye, her voice cracking and breaking, as she turned towards him and buried her tear stained face into the crook of his neck. "…she started gasping for air and then all of a sudden she collapsed to the ground, writhing and unable to breathe! Everyone immediately ran for her, but it was already too late by the time they reached her, because she'd gone completely limp on the floor and was no longer breathing. I don't know what I did exactly but I think I actually might've obliterated her heart with an earthquake from the inside. And that's why Coulson threatened to find me again with an outcome that would be far from pretty after I turned and fled, because not only had I killed Hunter but Bobbi too! At least I think I did, because I mean I suppose she could've survived, but since I ran I guess I'll never truly know unless I ever see her again. And then despite everything I just know they all still blame me for Tripp's death deep down, especially Simmons."

"Skye, sweetheart, obliterating someone's heart from the inside isn't even possible..." said Grant quietly, his mind racing at what Skye had finally admitted to him. He still didn't believe she was a monster, since he still didn't believe that what she'd done had been her fault due to her not knowing how to control her powers properly yet, so she couldn't really be blamed for the things that she did. But if he was completely honest with himself then deep down he was now a little worried over what she could do exactly if she wasn't careful and ever got that angry and scared again. _She really does need professional help and the sooner the better._

"But that's the thing, Grant, because it is possible" said Skye, as she lifted her head up to face him and locked her tearful eyes onto his. "I can do it to myself because I've hurt myself doing it once already. Back in the beginning I thought I was actually managing to control the quakes and everything else but really what I was doing was turning them inward and directing them at myself so I didn't hurt anyone around me. I was breaking my bones from the inside and Simmons had to issue me with these special gloves to help kinda neutralise my powers a little. But when I fled The Playground I left them behind and that's why I don't like losing control, especially when we make love because that's when I lose control of myself let alone my powers."

"Skye, just listen to me, okay?" said Grant, giving her a quick, comforting kiss, as he took a hold of her hands in his and squeezed them reassuringly. "They were all accidents. You didn't kill Tripp down in the temple because it was the mist that did, not you. And what happened to Hunter and then later Bobbi were both accidents and you aren't to blame for them either. You've said it yourself that you can't control your powers and you're still not entirely sure of what you're truly capable of yet. But regardless of it all you aren't a monster, Skye, and you never will be. I will never think that of you, despite what I said 6 weeks ago about how maybe the two of us could be monsters together, because truthfully that is the last thing that ever I want for us. If anything I was just grasping at straws in order to keep you with me and ever since Raina said it to me it's messed with my damn head. But I promise you that I never want that for you, for me, or for us. You believe me, right?"

"I believe you" nodded Skye, smiling up at him. "I just don't understand why you're still standing by me after everything I've just admitted to you."

"Because I promised you that I always would and that I'd always be in your corner no matter what" said Grant, smiling down at her. "Plus, you know what I'm like. I'm a man of my word. I don't break my promises, especially not to you."

"If I'm completely honest with you then I kinda wish you'd broken the last one you ever made to me about taking me to my father..." sighed Skye, trailing off to scowl at him a little. "...because if you had then I wouldn't be a walking, talking natural disaster waiting to go off like a ticking time bomb!"

"I know, baby, I know, and I'm so sorry" said Grant apologetically. "If I could take it all back you know I would. But I'm gonna make it up to you though. I'm gonna get you help and together we'll learn how to control your powers. I promise."

"But how though?" asked Skye, sighing heavily. "Who out there can possibly help me while keeping it all from S.H.I.E.L.D., from HYDRA and from my crazy father? There's no one that can help me, Grant!"

"Yes, Skye, there is" said Grant, flashing her a small smile. "I already told you that I have a friend that can help you with your powers. He wants to help you. He's already helping Kara regain her identity so she's not stuck with Agent May's face for the rest of her life because he has the resources to do it and more money than any man even needs. He's my friend and if you let him then he'll be yours too."

"But who is he?" asked Skye inquisitively. "Is it Tony Stark?! Because it sounds like him and if it is him then I'm gonna freak the hell out."

"I wish I knew Tony Stark!" chuckled Grant, as he shook his head at her. "But no it's not him. I think it's best we stay off of the radar of all of The Avengers if we can just in case it ever gets back to Coulson should they find out he's alive one day."

"But if it's not Tony Stark then who is it?" asked Skye, frowning at him. "Who can you possibly know that's so resourceful and rich?"

"I'm sorry, Skye, but I can't tell you that yet" said Grant, silencing her oncoming reply with a hard, deep kiss that left her in a state of delirium after he'd pulled away. "You just have to trust me. You have to trust that I will make everything right and that I'll never leave your side no matter what happens. Do you trust me, Skye?"

"After everything that's ever happened between us in the past and all of the betrayal between us then trusting you is the last thing that I should ever do, but, I do. I trust you more than I know I should" said Skye truthfully, smiling a weak smile at him. "but then I should hate you too, and I don't. I couldn't if I tried."

"I give you my word, Skye, that this time you can trust me" said Grant, as he captured her lips in a soft, lingering kiss. "I told you that I would never lie to you again and I meant it."

"And I believed you when you did" said Skye, kissing him again, as she then leaned forwards and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, resting her chin over his right shoulder and holding onto him tightly. "You make me feel safe. I know that with you by my side I could take on the world if I had to."

"I'm sure once we can control those powers of yours that you could if you wanted" chuckled Grant softly, as he wrapped his arms completely around her and brought her flush against him. "Everything'll be okay in the end. We'll be okay in the end. I have faith that we will be."

"You were right earlier when you said that I lied to you about wanting to be alone, because that's the last thing that I ever want" said Skye, sighing against his neck. "I don't ever want to be alone again. I'm scared when I am. Promise me you'll never leave me all alone, Grant. I need you to promise me because I don't have anyone else left on my side now but you and Kara."

"I promise you, Skye, that I'm never gonna leave you no matter what the world throws at us and neither will Kara" said Grant, meaning every word, as he tugged her back to look at him, flashing her a smile when she did so. "We're stronger together than apart."

Curving her mouth up into a wide smile Skye looped her arms back around his neck and bent down to rest her forehead lightly against his, nuzzling his nose with her own when she got close enough and then kissed him ever so softly. "I love you, Grant."

Upon hearing Skye finally admit out loud to his face that she loved him Grant could barely contain how erratically his heart started to beat and pound against his chest, because hearing Skye admit that she loved him was something that he honestly thought he would never hear her say to him. But she finally had and the feeling that washed over him and practically consumed him was the best feeling he'd ever felt before. And that feeling was an overwhelming feeling of _love, _and coming from Skye there was no greater love in the world to him. "I love you too, Skye."

Seeing Skye smile a little goofily at him and hearing the somewhat naughty sounding giggle escape from her throat made Grant surge forwards to capture her mouth with his own in a hungry, passionate kiss, as both of their tongues found each other and fused together as one.

And then in one swift movement Grant had flipped Skye onto her back, which had elicited a loud and excited squeal from her.

It didn't take Grant too long after that to spread her legs apart and bury himself deep within her while he attempted to show her exactly how much he loved her and always would.


	6. A State Of Bliss

**WARNING: This chapter contains ****SEXUAL CONTENT.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe. **

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**Chapter 6: A State Of Bliss  
**

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Waking up the next morning and more than happily cuddling against Grant's naked chest, due to having absolutely no interest in waking up properly just yet, Skye couldn't help but smile contently when she felt Grant place a soft kiss against her lips. As she smiled even wider she soon felt him place another soft kiss against her lips and nuzzle her nose tenderly afterwards, which didn't fail to make her giggle. "Quit it, Ward. I'm still tired and no thanks to you."

"You didn't complain once last night so don't start complaining this morning" smirked Grant smugly, chuckling against her lips, as he kissed her softly once more and simply because he could. "Why are you calling me Ward again? I've gotten used to you calling me Grant now."

"I'd be a fool if I ever complained when we made love" said Skye, as she tucked her head underneath his chin so he'd stop seeking out her lips to kiss, not that she minded in the slightest, but she was still tired and if she could then she intended to nap for at least another hour. "And calling you Ward is just a force of habit. I'll slip back and forth depending on my mood and if you happen to be pissing me off or something like that. I'll still call you Grant though, but calling you Ward is just what I'm used to."

"Alright then, no worries, as I get what you mean. I'll do my best not to piss you off though if it means I'll hear my first name slip more often from those lips of yours that I happen to love so much" chuckled Grant, as he wrapped his arm tighter around Skye's waist and pulled her flush against his chest, soon smiling to himself when he felt her lift up her left leg and slide it around his waist to keep him firmly in place. "We should probably think about leaving the bed soon."

"But why when it's such a fun place to be?" purred Skye against his chest. "Just let me sleep for another hour and then when I wake up I'll show you exactly how fun it can be again."

"As fun as that sounds I think we could both do with breaking for a little while to have something to eat" said Grant, smiling as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "That way we're fully rejuvenated to spend the entire day in bed with each other."

"I'm loving how addicted we've become to each other so quickly and so easily as well" laughed Skye softly, as she tilted her head to the side a little bit so she could nip at his nipple closest to her mouth. "We've completely ruined each other from ever being with anyone but each other from now on."

"I'd say that's a good thing" grinned Grant. "Because you belong with me, no one else. I'll never let you be with anyone else, not now after everything we've been through together."

"Just so you know all of what you said totally applies to you too, as you belong with me, no one else, and I'll never let anyone else have you either" smiled Skye, as she lifted her head up and pursed her lips out towards his for a kiss.

"I'm definitely not gonna argue with you on any of that" smiled Grant, as he more than happily dipped his head down and graced her pursed lips with a kiss, smiling even more afterwards when she tucked her head back under his chin and cuddled even closer to him. "I swear you're making me soft."

"What do you mean?" asked Skye, yawning against his chest.

"By declaring our feelings for each other and wanting to be with no one but each other..." said Grant, trailing off to smile and wrap his arms even tighter around her with a contented sigh. "...and then there's all of this cuddling we're doing. I've never been a cuddler until now."

"I've never really been much of a cuddler until now either, though I've tried to be in the past..." said Skye, shrugging her shoulders indifferently. "...but I think you just need to find the right person before you can allow yourself to let your guard down enough to feel completely safe and relaxed in their arms to do nothing more than just cuddle up close and things like that."

"And you believe you've found the right person in me, huh?" asked Grant, as he traced a light pattern of circles on her back with his fingertips.

"I've always felt safe with you" admitted Skye truthfully. "All you've ever done is protect me, even when you were lying about who you really were, and I've always believed you protecting me was because you genuinely wanted to and not because it was a part of your cover or anything."

"My feelings for you have always been real, Skye. I've never lied about how I feel about you and I never will" said Grant sincerely. "I promise you that I'll always protect you no matter what. I love you, Skye."

"I believe you, okay? You don't need to convince me that your feelings for me are real, not anymore" said Skye, as she lifted her head up, resting her chin lightly atop his chest and smiling up at him. "I know you love me, Grant. You've made those feelings pretty clear lately. And it might be silly to say and all but I can feel how much you actually love me during all of our lovemaking."

"It's not silly to say at all, because I can also feel how much you love me during our lovemaking too" said Grant, as he smiled down at her. "Because you do, right? Still love me that is."

"You know I do" said Skye, leaning up to kiss him tenderly. "I've already told you I do and my feelings haven't diminished in the space of a few hours. I'd say they've increased if anything."

"I was just checking. Because all of this..." said Grant, trailing off momentarily to wave his hand in the air a little dumbly, as he tried to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say exactly to express his point.. "...is all really new to me. Y'know, the whole being in a relationship thing. But don't get me wrong or anything because I want this with you. I really do. I'm just basically admitting I'm not entirely used to it but I'm more than happy to learn how to become the perfect boyfriend for you."

"Aweh! That's so sweet! But wait a minute! Am I your first official girlfriend?!" giggled Skye, giving him a quick kiss. "I'm honoured. Truly I am."

Grant merely rolled his eyes at her and sighed heavily. "Yeah, I guess in a way you are. I've been with my fair share of women over the years but I've never settled with one because my line of work always stopped me. Our jobs don't exactly encourage long term romantic relationships."

"We no longer have those jobs though" said Skye, beaming up at him, as she reached up and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "We're finally free, Grant. We can do whatever we want. We can be happy together because there's no such thing as rules, regulations and protocols stopping us from being with each other now like there was before."

"Thank God for that!" grinned Grant, chuckling, as he dipped his head towards her and kissed her deeply, soon rolling her onto her back and pinning her underneath him. "After everything we've ever been through we deserve to finally be happy with each other."

"Here's hoping that we can be then" said Skye, sighing, as she trailed her fingers through his hair absentmindedly. "I still stand by what I said about how I don't think we're actually ready to start a relationship with each other and all that just yet. But I also know that I couldn't let you go now even if I tried. I don't ever want to lose you, Grant."

"You're never going to lose me, Skye" said Grant, kissing her and then resting his forehead against hers. "So stop worrying so much. You'll give yourself wrinkles."

Skye couldn't help but giggle at hearing that. "You really are a goofball!"

"Yeah, but I'm your goofball" chuckled Grant, nuzzling her nose and kissing her again.

Skye just giggled again as she kissed him back. "I love you."

"I'm never going to get tired of hearing that" said Grant, practically beaming, as he kissed her once more.

Lifting her legs up and wrapping them tightly around Grant's waist Skye flipped their positions until he was now the one underneath her. Before he could wrap his arms around her or slide her body down towards his hardening cock she then quickly rolled off of him and off of the bed, sashaying away from him towards his discarded black t-shirt and slipping it on once she'd bent down to pick it up.

"Damn, you look real good in my shirt..." said Grant hoarsely, as he bit down on his bottom lip a little bit, taking in Skye's appearance before him as he did so. His t-shirt fit her ever so perfectly, clinging to her ever perfect curves and showing off her long, slender legs that he loved so much, especially when they were wrapped completely around him. "...one question though. Why have you left the bed to put on my shirt?"

"You said we needed food to rejuvenate ourselves so we could stay in bed for the entire day" replied Skye, smirking as she sashayed away and out of the bedroom. "So let's find something to eat and then I'm literally gonna rock your world!"

Glimpsing Skye's pert little bottom as she left the bedroom, due to his t-shirt riding up her slender legs ever so slightly while she sashayed away, had Grant bolt from the bed quicker than lighting and practically fall into his jeans, as he fumbled about the bedroom trying his best to slide his legs into them, but failing miserably and falling over at least 3 times in the process before he finally managed to get them on and race out of the bedroom after Skye. "I don't suppose you have any whipped cream? Because I could quite happily rejuvenate myself with simply that as long as I can lick it off your nipples and naked body!"

* * *

_30 Minutes Later..._

"We're gonna have to go food shopping sometime tomorrow" said Skye a little later, as she washed the plates that she and Grant had used for their sandwiches, since she didn't have much in her apartment when it came to food except for sandwiches. Once finished washing the plates she dried them off with a dishcloth and then leaned up on her tiptoes to put them away in the cupboard above her head.

The moment Skye felt Grant's hands on either side of her bottom and then squeeze her cheeks tightly in the palm of his hands from behind she squealed loudly and nearly dropped the plate in her hand that she'd been holding at the time. _"WARD!"_

"Consider that punishment for being such a little tease!" growled Grant huskily into her ear, as he drew his right hand back and then promptly slapped her hard on her bottom. "My shirt lifted up when you did. There was no way I could resist reaching out to touch you and you know it."

"You're incorrigible!" giggled Skye, as she spun around to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It wasn't intentional. I swear."

"Mm, so you say" chuckled Grant disbelievingly, kissing her deeply before pulling back. "As for going food shopping tomorrow I'm afraid that's out of the question. Tomorrow we've gotta get going if we don't go today, because we can't stay here for too much longer, Skye."

"Where are we going to go though?" asked Skye, furrowing her brows at him.

"We're going to join up with Kara" replied Grant. "She's with my friend, remember? We're gonna hit the road and head to his place."

"Right, of course..." sighed Skye heavily, as she unwrapped her arms from around his neck and pulled herself out of his arms. "...the mysterious friend whose name I still don't know. Or where he lives. Or who he is. Or what he does. Or why he's so rich. Or how you even know him. Or how he plans to help me with my powers exactly. And all because you won't freaking tell me anything about him!"

"You said you trusted me, Skye" said Grant, sighing also, as he walked over to where she now stood in the middle of the small kitchen with her arms folded across her chest. Slipping his arms around her waist he pulled her back against him and rested his head lightly on her right shoulder. "So just trust me when I say that he's a trustworthy guy, okay? He's genuine and he really wants to help you if you'll let him. He's helping Kara as we speak."

"What do you mean?" asked Skye curiously. "How is he helping Kara exactly?"

"He's rich and resourceful and he knows a lot of people, most specifically a lot of really great doctors that are attempting to remove the nano mask of May so she can finally be herself again, so she can go back to being Kara" said Grant, tilting his head to the side to smile up at her. "I'm hoping by the time I go back that she'll actually have her own face again."

"She definitely deserves her own face back" said Skye, smiling at the thought since she really wanted to know what Kara looked like underneath the nano mask of May. "But helping Kara get her face back and helping me to control my powers are two very different things. I don't think anyone will be able to help me."

"We won't know until we try" said Grant, kissing the tip of her shoulder. "So let's just try, yeah?"

"I'm scared to try, Grant" said Skye quietly, chewing on her bottom lip. "Just tell me his name at least. Please? I doubt I know him, right? So just tell me his name."

"No, you don't know him, not that I know of anyway" said Grant, as he pulled back from her and spun her around in his arms to face him, his hands resting on either side of her hips. "As for his name I'm sorry, Skye, but right now you're on a need to know basis. He's a very private guy and he always has been. You'll learn that when you meet him. So until then you're on a need to know basis. I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you'll just have to keep on trusting me when I say that everything will work out in the end, okay?"

"Trust goes both ways, Ward..." huffed Skye, clearly annoyed.

"I know it does" said Grant, sighing a little frustratedly. "And when we're on the road and closer to his place then I'll tell you more about him. I promise. Just be patient until then. Please?"

"On one condition..." said Skye, trailing off to lock her eyes with his before continuing. "...after we leave here to join up with your friend, whoever he is, then no more secrets, alright? You tell me everything from here on out and I'll tell you everything as well. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal" said Grant, nodding. "No more secrets once we leave this place."

"Good" smiled Skye, as she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Because otherwise I'm gonna have to start withholding sex from you as a form of punishment."

"That wouldn't be a form of punishment, but a form of torture!" chuckled Grant, shaking his head at her, as he reclaimed her lips with his own once more.

As Grant reclaimed her lips with his own hard and passionately Skye felt as if all of the breath had been sucked out of her in the space of only a few seconds. Bringing her hands up she soon glided her fingers through his thick hair, hearing him moan at her doing so, which instantly made her smile whenever he did since her running her fingers through his hair seemed to be a weak spot for him and one that he just loved. "Grant, please, _hurry..."_ she moaned into his mouth, unsure of what she was even asking him to hurry for, or even begging for exactly beyond his body joining with her own since she was now extremely turned on.

Grant merely growled low in his throat in response, as he lifted her arms above her head and pulled off his shirt that she was wearing, tossing it to the side and barely even noticing where it happened to land let alone actually caring. In that moment nothing else mattered to Grant than the heart stopping way he could take her and claim her as his and his alone like he had done so many times already and would never tire of doing. His hands travelled down her back, bringing her flush against him, as he felt her undo the zipper on his jeans and then slide them down his hips, breaking their kiss only long enough to help him step out of them until she was back in his arms and kissing him as passionately as she could.

Once there were no more barriers between them in the form of clothes anymore Grant teased Skye's tongue with his own, deepening their kiss and slowly backing her up and towards the kitchen counter. Gripping her bottom tightly in the palm of his hands he lifted her effortlessly so she was legs off the ground and wrapped around his waist, her nails digging sharply into his shoulders as she held on tight, neither one of them breaking their passionate kiss in the process.

As soon as Skye was sat atop the kitchen counter Grant broke their passionate kiss to unwrap her legs from around his waist, spread them wide apart, tug her towards him so her bottom was resting on the edge of the counter and then placed the tip of his hardened cock at the base of her entrance, thrusting into her in one deep stroke, moaning that he couldn't wait any longer and wrapping her legs back around his waist.

As Grant thrusted into her deeply Skye couldn't help but cry out in pleasure, as he entered her so deeply he all but filled her. "Oh, _fuck, _Grant!"

"You did say I could take you against the kitchen counter..." breathed Grant huskily, nipping at her collarbone and revelling in the shiver he felt her feel at him doing so. "...and I told you I was going to hold you to it."

"I was hoping you wouldn't forget..." panted Skye, as she wiggled against him, silently begging for him to start moving. "...now fuck me already."

Locking her legs as tightly around him as she possibly could Skye slipped his hard cock even deeper inside of her, her back arching as Grant suddenly started thrusting up into her almost wildly.

Due to the wildness of Grant's deep thrusting it wasn't long before Skye lost her balance and fell backwards against the counter, her hands flying up above her head so she could grip the counter with her fingers under her head and hold on as strongly as she could while Grant continued to thrust, slam and practically pound into her at a ferocious speed.

It was more than obvious to both of them that they weren't going to last very long in their current position and based on their near frantic coupling. They were both moaning and groaning loudly, calling out each other's name over and over again, as they soared ever closer to the ultimate climax.

Skye wasn't at all surprised when her orgasm gripped her quickly and she screamed out Grant's name, her walls clamping around his cock and making her arch her back up and off the kitchen counter, barely even noticing the drawers and cupboards around them fly open as plates, bowls, cups and glasses crashed to the ground and shattered all around them when the kitchen around them began to shake a little violently.

Grant's own orgasm hit him almost as instantly after Skye's hit her, his name spilling from her lips making him thrust himself inside of her even faster until he'd spilled everything he had to offer her deep inside of her, calling out her name loudly with one final thrust before collapsing against her chest, his head resting between her breasts, his breathing ragged and heavy and which now matched her own. He was pretty sure they'd destroyed the kitchen but since they'd come out of the destruction unscathed then right now he couldn't give a damn.

Skye lay back against the counter under Grant's weight, completely spent and fully satisfied and just like she knew Grant was as well. "Well, _fuck."_

"We just did" said Grant, placing soft kisses against her breasts that were now slick with droplets of sweat, as he then lifted his head to grin smugly up at her. "You're gonna have to give me a few minutes if you want another round."

"I'm absolutely exhausted, but you're that fucking good I do want another round..." grinned Skye devilishly, as she hoisted herself up and fused her lips with his roughly, nipping at his tongue with her teeth when he dared to thrust it inside of her mouth. "...but this time I want you to take me on the sofa. You did want to defile it yesterday, remember?"

"Oh, I remember…" grinned Grant devilishly back at her, as he pulled away from the counter with Skye in his arms and wrapped completely around him, grinning even more at the squeal she allowed to escape her, as he just loved knowing that he had the ability to make her squeal the way that she had a habit of doing whenever she was excited.

Quickly exiting the small kitchen area Grant took the few small steps that it took to step into the adjourning living room and flop down back against the sofa with Skye straddling his lap. "...so, now what?"

"Let the defiling begin..." whispered Skye against his lips, nuzzling her nose against his and sliding his arms around her waist from where they'd been gripping her thighs.

"Kiss me, Skye..." said Grant huskily, his head tilting back, as he offered his mouth up to her, his deep brown eyes inviting her to blow his mind like she blew his.

Smiling Skye bent her head and brushed her lips softly against his and ever so lightly. She instantly felt Grant tighten his arms around her waist before relaxing a few seconds later. Deepening their kiss she nipped at his lower lip while doing so, teasing him relentlessly until he opened up his mouth to her to explore as much as she desired. Skye could honestly kiss Grant for hours, as he was an amazing kisser, expertly skilled and knew exactly what he was doing while being soft, sweet and teasing all at the same time.

Biting her bottom lip Skye slid off his lap, laid back against the cushions and spread her legs out across his lap. "Do whatever you want to me."

Grinning widely at the sight of Skye spread out and waiting for him to take her however he wished made Grant's cock go hard as a rock in anticipation of soon being buried deep within her wet folds again while she writhed beneath him calling out his name in ecstasy. Grant knew that if he didn't touch her again soon and a lot more intimately then he was going to completely dissolve. All he wanted to do was just grab her and pound into her like there was no tomorrow.

"Grant?" he heard Skye say his name, making him snap out of his thoughts and furrow his brows down at her. "What are you doing?"

"Just imagining what I want to do to you" replied Grant, his voice thick and raspy.

"Less imagining and more doing, yeah?" smiled Skye a little naughtily up at him.

"You got it, baby" grinned Grant, as he leaned down towards her and claimed her lips with his own hotly, hoping that she could feel from the heat of his mouth just how much he _wanted _her, _desired _her, _needed _her and _loved _her.

All Grant was currently aware of right now was Skye, her scent, the warmth of her skin against his and the softness of her hair whenever he ran his fingers through it. The way her mouth responded to him and the way the tips of her breasts brushed against his chest made his body tighten all over and drive him almost insane. "You're so beautiful, Skye" he drawled throatily, roaming one hand down her chest and past her breasts, his palm flat and stroking down along the dip of her waist and the arch of her hips. "So, so, so beautiful."

Skye currently felt light headed due to the way Grant was looking at her with nothing but awe and love in his eyes, making her able to do nothing more than blush and smile up at him as she remained silent and let him pretty much worship her.

Dipping his head Grant kissed her again before pulling back and drawing a line of kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. When he moved ever lower to take one of her nipples into his mouth he felt Skye give a sharp intake of breath, her fingers sliding into his hair like they usually did and making him smile. Releasing her nipple he was sucking on with a small _Pop! _he soon worked his way downwards, kissing as he went, and then slipped his right hand between her open thighs so he could slide a teasing finger into her slick and wet folds, cupping her throbbing and aching core and feeling exactly how wet she was for him.

Grant slid one finger along her sensitized nub, feeling Skye shudder when he tweaked and rolled it around his thumb and forefinger. He continued to do it until she was shuddering with need and gripping his hand hard in her own, as he allowed her to control the pace he was going.

"Oh, Grant, _please,_ just take me..." panted Skye, her breathing heavy. "...now, _please."_

"As you wish" said Grant, winking at her, as he shimmied down her body and replaced his thumb and forefinger with his tongue instead, knowing fine well that's not what Skye had intended for him to do at all but honestly? He just really loved tasting her and lapping up her wetness any way that he could.

Alternating flicks of his tongue with suction Grant quickly had Skye whimpering.

"Grant, _fuck, _I'm gonna come! Oh you _fucking..." _panted Skye breathlessly, failing to finish her sentence as she shuddered not once, not even twice, but three times and groaned out his name loudly each time. "That was, it was, was, umm, just _fuck!"_

Grant couldn't help but chuckle at Skye's choice of not so classy words. It was good for his ego knowing he could turn her brain to complete and utter mush like he just had. Crawling back up her body he tenderly rubbed his nose against hers. "Ready for more? Or are you done?"

"Uh huh" replied Skye, swallowing and smiling a little dazedly up at him.

"So, you're done?" asked Grant, chuckling.

"Hell no!" said Skye with a shake of her head. "Lil'' more please."

Grinning roguishly Grant sat up into a sitting position and then reached for Skye, pulling her up and settling her on top of him.

Skye quivered in his arms when she felt his hard erection twitch under her, seeking entry.

Grant was almost to the point of hyperventilating when Skye sank down onto him and pushed him deep inside of her, making him grip her hips and supporting her weight on top of him, which was light, since Skye was as light as a feather. "Make love to me, Skye. Let's make the earth quake together."

"If the earth quakes, shakes, tremors, or whatever else, then it happens" laughed Skye, leaning down and kissing him. "But other than that I'm not going to force it, because that's way more dangerous than when it just happens naturally."

"Fair enough" said Grant, kissing her again. "Let's find out, huh?"

"I swear that we're gonna be the complete and utter downfall of each other one day!" giggled Skye, wrapping her arms around Grant's neck, kissing him deeply and pulling him flush against her, as she ever so slowly and teasingly started to grind against him and just as the sofa began to lightly vibrate beneath them, which if anything just increased the pure pleasure that was now building and starting to sizzle between them.

* * *

_Later that night…_

Hearing his cell phone vibrating on the little bedside table on his side of the bed made Grant jerk awake with a start, blinking furiously in order to settle in on his surroundings. Wiping at his eyes in order to wake himself up a little better he reached his hand out behind him blindly to grab his cell phone, gripping it tightly when he clasped his fingers around it and brought it around to face him to see that it was a text message from Kara. Yawning tiredly he hit _Open Message _and then glanced down at Skye curled into him and cuddled against him, her head resting lightly against his chest and her hair sprawled out over her face. Smiling down at her he brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, kissing her forehead tenderly and wrapping his free arm tighter around her as he then focused his attention on the text message that Kara had sent him.

_You and Skye need to cool the many reunions you're engaging in or get the hell out of wherever you are no later than the morning. B says to tell you that he can only divert the locations of all of the quakes for so long before S.H.I.E.L.D. pick up on it and find your real location. So be careful until morning, okay? And then get Skye the hell out of there! Also, A is starting to drive me a little crazy with his constant fussing, though it's kinda cute in a way how caring he is. Anyway, tell Skye I said hi and for the love of everything just GET HERE ALREADY! - K xoxo_

Grant couldn't help but chuckle a little at reading Kara's text message, as he'd figured by now that she was no doubt probably going a little stir crazy without him for company. He was happy to see that she'd remembered what he'd told her when it came to referring to his friends as simply B and A in messages in case his cell phone ever fell into the wrong hands, since that way no one would know who they meant exactly and couldn't find him or his friends. Hitting the _Reply _button he quickly typed out a text message to send back to her.

_Tell B thanks for the heads up and we'll be sure to 'cool' our reunions until morning. I'll have us both out of here by then. I promise. Skye has agreed to come with me and allow B to help her. It'll take us about a week to get there though by car so until then just humour poor old A and his constant fussing over you ;) We'll see you in no more than a week. Stay safe until then and don't leave the mansion unless R or S are with you like we agreed upon before I left. - G :)_

Tossing his cell phone back onto the bedside table behind him Grant cuddled back up to Skye and slipped both of his arms around her waist, smiling into her hair when she sighed contently against his chest and lightly murmured his name in her sleep.


	7. You're The Bonnie To My Clyde

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7: You're The Bonnie To My Clyde  
**

* * *

"Ugh! What is that awful noise?!" groaned Skye early the next morning, rolling away from Grant and onto on her stomach, as she then picked up her pillow and buried her head underneath it for some peace and quiet.

"That awful noise would be my alarm on my cell phone going off" chuckled Grant, as he picked up his cell phone to hit _Stop _on his alarm and then placed it back on the little bedside table beside the bed afterwards. "Alarms tend to make a noise when they go off so they'll wake you up."

"But why is it going off so freaking early?!" grumbled Skye from underneath her pillow, her voice slightly muffled. "It's barely 5:30 AM, Ward!"

"I always get up at 5:30 AM" replied Grant, as he rolled over onto his side, shuffled closer towards Skye and proceeded to pepper her bare back with soft little kisses once he was close enough to do so. "Even when I was incarcerated down in Vault D I'd still wake up at 5:30 AM every day."

"I know you did" said Skye, as she tossed her pillow to the side and rolled onto her back so she could furrow her brows up at him. "I've always wondered how you even knew what time it was to wake up every day at the same time like you did when you didn't have a clock, a watch or anything down there."

"Force of habit over the years, internal body clock, that sort of thing" said Grant with a shrug of his shoulders. "How'd you know I used to wake up at that time anyway?"

Skye just curved her mouth up into a devious smile. "Well, you used to wake up, take off your shirt and do push-ups."

"And you used to watch me?" asked Grant, grinning a little cockily, as he propped himself up on his left elbow beside her and stared down at her.

"Yeah, pretty much" replied Skye, biting down on her bottom lip and smiling innocently up at him. "My willpower towards not checking out your abs on a daily basis was very weak."

"Have you ever thought that maybe I hoped you were watching me and that's why I used to take my shirt off to do my push-ups?" asked Grant, smirking, as he closed the short distance between them and claimed her smiling lips with his own in a tender kiss.

"I guess I'm not the only weak one then..." giggled Skye, as she happily kissed him back. She soon found herself groaning in frustration when Grant pulled away from her and broke their kiss after she tried to deepen it. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" chuckled Grant, as he slid out of the bed and walked around the bedroom retrieving his scattered clothes that he could find.

"It looks like you're putting your clothes back on when you know fine well that I'm just going to take them off you again" sighed Skye. "Come back to bed, Grant. I promise I'll make it worthwhile. It's far too early to be awake."

"As tempting as that sounds we really need to make a move already" said Grant, as he glanced around the room with a small frown etched across his face. "Have you seen my jeans and t-shirt? I can't remember where I left them."

"What do you mean we need to make a move?" asked Skye, furrowing her brows in confusion as well as tiredness. "And I imagine they're still in the kitchen where we left them yesterday, remember?"

"Trust me when I say that I'm not going to forget our passionate escapade over the kitchen counter in a hurry" chuckled Grant, flashing her a cheeky wink, as he promptly left the bedroom to retrieve his jeans and t-shirt from the kitchen.

_"WARD!_ What the _HELL?! _Get back here _RIGHT NOW!_" yelled Skye after his retreating form. "You have a naked woman lying in bed who will let you do absolutely anything to her and you're just walking away without even so much as a backwards glance?!"

"I believe I've done many things to you in that bed since we reunited" said Grant, as he strode back into the bedroom now fully dressed. "And quit reverting back to calling me Ward. I prefer hearing you call me Grant now."

"And I specifically remember telling you yesterday that it's a force of habit to call you Ward and especially when you happen to be pissing me off like you are right now!" sighed Skye, as she folded her arms across her chest crossly and glared up at him from where she still lay in the bed.

"Man, you are really grumpy early in the morning..." chuckled Grant, shaking his head at her. "...I don't remember you ever being this grumpy back on The Bus when I'd wake you up early for training."

"Probably because you never woke me up at 5:30 AM" grumbled Skye. "My training was always after 8:00 AM, to which I'd show up for at 10:00 AM, so, yeah."

"Or after 12:00 PM and some days not at all..." smirked Grant, as he leaned down towards her in order to grace the tip of her nose with a quick little kiss. "...one thing I know you'll always be is lazy."

"If you're going to share a bed with me on a permanent basis and be responsible for tiring me out more and more then you'll soon get used to my laziness" laughed Skye, as she tugged him back down towards her for a proper kiss. "But we're gonna have to work on you waking up at 5:30 AM every morning. That is just unacceptable. I need to make you as lazy as me."

"Good luck with that one, babe, because you're gonna epically fail" scoffed Grant, giving her one last quick kiss before prising himself out of her arms and standing to his feet once more. "Now, get up. There's a good lil' rookie."

"I've missed you calling me rookie so damn much!" beamed Skye at hearing him once again refer to her as his rookie, which was something she thought she'd never hear from him ever again. "Just like I've missed you being my S.O., because trust me May is good and all, but she's got nothing on you."

"You'll always be my rookie, Skye" smiled Grant. "Nothing will ever change that."

"And you'll always be my S.O, which now when you think about it also has a whole new meaning" grinned Skye. "Because now it also stands for significant other."

"That it does" chuckled Grant. "But I much prefer the word boyfriend. I quite like how that sounds."

"You're such an adorable dork!" giggled Skye.

"Just get up and out of the bed already" sighed Grant. "We really have to get going."

"Let me guess..." said Skye, sighing also, as she flung the covers to the side and jumped out of the bed, stark naked, and came to a stop in front of him. "...we've to make a move on setting off to meet up with your mysterious, nameless friend?"

"Um, yeah, that sounds good, we can, um, definitely make a..." mumbled Grant, clearly distracted by her nakedness and soon trailing off so he could roam his eyes appreciatively across her body. "...wait, what?"

"Are you sure we can't go back to bed for just another hour?" asked Skye, giggling at him stumbling over his words, as she batted her eyelashes at him seductively and curved her mouth out into a small pout. "I promise it'll be worth every second."

"Oh, I don't doubt that" moaned Grant against her mouth after she'd kissed him teasingly. "But we really have to get going before it's too late."

"What aren't you telling me?" asked Skye, as she pulled back from him with a frown. "Does someone know that we're here or something?"

"No, of course not" said Grant, shaking his head, as he reached out towards her and rubbed his hands up and down her bare arms reassuringly. "But Kara did text me last night saying that we had to leave by no later than the morning because my friend can only divert attention away from all of the quakes we cause during our many lovemaking sessions before Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. are on to us and find our real location."

"How is your friend even diverting the attention away in the first place?" asked Skye curiously.

"He's very smart and good with computers, just like you" smiled Grant, dipping his head to kiss her softly. "And because of that I know you'll both get along just fine."

"Okay, now I'm even more intrigued by who he is!" said Skye, furrowing her brows. "Do you think that Coulson and the others know by now that we're travelling with each other?"

"I don't see how they can unless they ever catch us together" answered Grant, before frowning slightly. "But then again who knows? I doubt they think you decided to go on the run alone all this time so they probably figure by now that you sought out someone that you know. And worst case scenario because you were out of any good options you chose a bad option, which was me."

"You're not a bad option" said Skye softly. "You're the best option. And one that I don't regret."

"I don't regret anything either" smiled Grant, kissing her once more. "I'm glad you found me. Because now we can finally be together."

"Just like a modern day bunch of outlaws!" giggled Skye, as she looped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him.

"Well, what can I say, baby..." smirked Grant, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her naked body flush against his fully clothed one. "...you're the Bonnie to my Clyde."

"Weren't Bonnie and Clyde cold blooded murderers?" snorted Skye. "Let's not quite go that far."

"I didn't mean we were literally like them!" sighed Grant exasperatedly. "I'd like to see you come up with two better names."

"Hmm..." murmured Skye, as she scrunched her nose up in thought. "...Jules and Vega?"

"Not only are you smart, witty and beautiful but you're a _Pulp Fiction_ fan too?" grinned Grant, leaning down and kissing her deeply. "I just fell in love with you all over again."

"Now all we gotta do is hold up a diner at gunpoint and we really will be like them!" giggled Skye, as she happily kissed him back.

"That would definitely get us on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar again so let's not do that" chuckled Grant, as he kissed her one last time before reluctantly untangling himself from her arms and walking away from her. "Now start getting dressed. We're ditching this place while we still can."

"Ugh! Fine! Damn bossy boots!" grumbled Skye, as she reluctantly started getting dressed and as slowly as possible just to annoy the hell outta Grant because, after all, why not? Annoying him was fun and maybe if she was really lucky enough he'd throw her over his lap and spank her.

* * *

A little over 40 minutes later, give or take, Skye was finally dressed and ready to leave her little apartment that she'd become quite attached to over the last couple of weeks that she'd been living there, which had prompted her to linger back for as long as she could while giving Grant the excuse that before she left she needed to wake herself up with some much needed coffee first, though that hadn't really been a lie because she really had needed some coffee first in order to function properly.

So after she'd emerged from her bedroom dressed in a pair of tight fitting black jeans with a black top and leather boots to match she'd headed straight for the coffee maker, much to Grant's frustration who'd been eager to leave as soon as she was dressed. Unfortunately for Grant though he'd had to wait until Skye was damn well ready to leave and had only made her linger back even longer deliberately the more he sighed in frustration and constantly kept saying things like _'We really need to get going, Skye', 'Are you done yet?',_ _'How long does it take you to drink a cup of coffee these days?'_ and _'You're stalling on purpose just to annoy me, aren't you?' _to her.

After deciding she'd annoyed him as much as she could and obviously wasn't going to receive a spanking as punishment for it, though she had hinted at it but sadly for her Grant hadn't taken the bait, Skye quickly finished the rest of her coffee and allowed a relieved Grant to lead her from her apartment after she'd quickly threw what little clothes and belongings she had into a duffel bag before heading outside with him towards where his car waited for them.

_"Oh my god!_ There's no way this car actually belongs to you!" exclaimed Skye in awe and excitement, as she promptly dived over the passenger side door without even opening it and landed flawlessly in the passenger seat of the brand new Red Lamborghini in front of her.

"I think you'll find that it does indeed belong to me" chuckled Grant, as he tossed her duffel bag into the boot, closed the door and then walked around to the driver's side of the car, where he too dived into the driver's side without opening the door and also landed flawlessly in his seat, because if Skye could show off then so could he. "I take it you like my new wheels, huh?"

"Are you kidding me?! I love them!" squealed Skye. "But how can you even afford a car like this, Grant?! You're on the run for crying out loud! It's not like you can make money from that!"

"I have a lot of money saved up from working for S.H.I.E.L.D. that I managed to get my hands on not so long ago" said Grant, as he started up the ignition. "As for the car it was actually a gift from my friend. He thought I should drive around in style."

"He bought you a Lamborghini so you could drive around in style?!" repeated Skye, brow quirking upwards disbelievingly. "_Seriously?!"_

"Yes, seriously!" laughed Grant, as he put his seatbelt on and nodded at her to do the same with hers, which she did. "He also gave me a credit card with an unlimited amount of cash on it so I could find you and get us both back to his place safely."

"Oh my god! You've so gone and got yourself the equivalent of a sugar daddy!" exclaimed Skye, as she giggled like a hyena. "That is so adorable!"

"Whatever, Skye" sighed Grant, rolling his eyes, as he put his foot down and off they sped down the highway. "It's road trip time."

_"Woohoo!_ Road trip!" yelled Skye excitedly, raising her arms into the air and punching the air with her fists, as the wind from the cool breeze nipped at the back of her neck due to the top from the roof being down. "So, about this sugar daddy of yours and all-"

"He's not my sugar daddy, Skye!" sighed Grant frustratedly, as he promptly cut her off. "I told you he's my friend. And he's a really good one too."

"Relax, babe, I'm just joking when I say sugar daddy" laughed Skye softly, as she reached out her left hand and placed it atop his thigh, squeezing it gently. "As long as he knows that the only one that you can kiss and do other things with is me then I'm sure I'll get along with him just fine."

"Very funny, Skye" said Grant, rolling his eyes at her. "You should be grateful that he gave me a credit card and bought me a car or I would never have found you."

"What made you even go to him in the first place?" asked Skye curiously, glancing over at him.

"I needed help to find you because I was failing on my own" replied Grant, as he kept his attention fixed firmly on the wide open road in front of him. "I was going out of my mind constantly worrying about you, where you were and if you were in trouble. I needed someone that was good at finding people that didn't want to be found. So I showed up on his doorstep one day with Kara in tow and asked him if he would help me."

"How long have you known him?" asked Skye, squeezing his thigh once more to encourage him to continue opening up to her and sharing with her anything about his mysterious friend that he was willing to share.

"I met him 4 years ago. I was sent on a mission by S.H.I.E.L.D. to the city where he lives to determine if he was a Gifted that needed to be placed on the Index or not, due to his name getting back to them more than once that there was this vigilante crime fighter out there that went up against countless bad guys, some with powers and some without, and that somehow he always managed to stop and apprehend" said Grant, as he happily recounted the tale to Skye. "S.H.I.E.L.D. had a pretty good idea of who he was despite having the whole secret identity thing going on for himself. I befriended him and we became pretty good friends. I eventually uncovered that he was who S.H.I.E.L.D. thought he was but told them that he wasn't, therefore keeping his secret identity in tact and allowing him to keep on fighting crime his way. S.H.I.E.L.D. eventually forgot about him thanks to me making sure that they did and he's pretty much lived in peace ever since. He always told me that if I ever needed his help, no matter what it was, then he'd help me, since I helped him keep his identity a secret and always have."

"You guys have actually kept in touch all this time?" asked Skye, smiling softly at him. She loved it whenever Grant opened up to her like he currently was and told her a story from his past, as it was something he very rarely did. But then again the Grant Ward that she had known on the team had been pretty much a cover and fake version, whereas the Grant Ward sitting beside her right now was the real Grant Ward, and this one liked to open up more, was proving to be quite chatty, loved cuddling her at night, telling her he loved her and made love to her whenever he got the chance.

"Yes and no" said Grant, flashing her a small smile. "I've always had to keep my friendship with him off of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar and even HYDRA's for that matter, because it's the only way to keep his real identity a secret. He's just a vigilante that exacts justice on people that really deserve it and protects the city that he lives in to the best of his ability. He's not a Gifted so he doesn't need to be placed on the Index."

"So how does he plan on helping me with my powers if he doesn't have any himself?" asked Skye, furrowing her brows in confusion. "I thought you were taking me to someone that could understand and help me to control my earthquake powers."

"Unfortunately I don't know anyone with actual powers unless they're on the Index and even then I don't know them personally" said Grant, as he glanced between Skye and the road. "But regardless of having powers or not he can still help you, Skye. He's rich, resourceful, has contacts in really high places and he actually knows a few other people with powers that could also be willing to help you once we all figure out exactly what you can do. You'll be safe at his place, okay? I promise you."

"I believe you and I trust you" said Skye, smiling at him. "I just hope that wherever he lives he won't mind me possibly destroying it because that is a very strong possibility and not an intentional one."

"He lives in a giant mansion that just so happens to have an underground lair" said Grant, winking at her. "And it's a cave, so, it'll take some destroying."

_"Will you just tell me who he is already?!"_ exclaimed Skye, scowling at him.

"Need to know basis, remember?" chuckled Grant, as he stuck his tongue out her playfully.

"Ugh! You drive me insane!" groaned Skye, as she rubbed at her temple in frustration. "But I guess living in a mansion for a little while will more than make up for it."

"That's the spirit!" chuckled Grant, shaking his head at her.

"So who else lives at this mansion with him?" asked Skye, her curiosity to know even more spiking yet again. "Wife? Kids? A dozen cats?"

"His surrogate father, girlfriend and surrogate brother" replied Grant. "You'll meet them all when we get to his."

"And are they all vigilantes too?" asked Skye, even curiouser.

"Why of course!" smirked Grant. "Well, his surrogate father isn't as he's a little too old to be a vigilante. But his girlfriend and surrogate brother are. You're going to love them all. I think you'll really get along with his girlfriend as she's just as feisty and stubborn as you are at times."

"Then I'm sure me and her along with Kara will more than happily bond over annoying you and whoever your mystery friend are together!" giggled Skye.

_"God help us..." _muttered Grant under his breath.

"Oh, hush!" laughed Skye, as she lightly smacked him on his arm. "Girlfriends are meant to annoy their boyfriends so I'd start getting used to it if I were you."

"Just so you know that when we get to where he lives I'm taking you out on a date" said Grant, as he glanced over at her and flashed her a wide smile. "It's what boyfriends and girlfriends do every now and then, right? And it'll make our relationship official."

"I'm so going to hold you to that" said Skye, smiling widely back at him. "But regardless our relationship is already official and has been ever since we had sex and consummated it."

"That mainly only applies to marriages" said Grant, chuckling softly.

"It can apply to relationships too" said Skye, frowning. "Regardless of when we go on a date and what not you're still my boyfriend, so, yeah."

"And you're still my girlfriend" smiled Grant, soon frowning himself. "I am so whipped."

Skye couldn't help but snort upon hearing him admit that aloud. "You said it, babe!"

Grant merely sighed heavily and rolled his eyes before returning his attention back towards the road and driving.

"So how long until we arrive at your friend's mega awesome mansion?" asked Skye, as she reached out to start fiddling with the radio to see what songs she could find that would annoy Grant and drive him absolutely crazy with.

"Well, we're actually quite far away, and it took me about a whole week to get to you..." replied Grant, trailing off momentarily to glance over at her. "...so by car nearly a week."

"We're gonna be on the road for a whole week?" asked Skye, wide eyed.

"We're on a road trip, Skye" said Grant, grinning at her. "We're meant to be on the road for a while or it wouldn't be a proper road trip."

"Fair enough" laughed Skye, as she continued fiddling with the radio. "As long as I'm with you then that's all that matters, because there's no one else in the world that I'd rather be on a road trip with than you."

Grant couldn't help but smile at her, sighing a little contently as he did so, since there was no one else in the world that he'd rather be on a road trip with right now other than Skye either. They were finally together, finally in a relationship with each other, finally knew they loved each other and were no longer afraid to tell each other, but above all else, they were finally happy together and there was nothing that could spoil that happiness. Or at least that's what he hoped. Because honestly they just needed to catch a damn break already and be left the hell alone while they attempted to start a new life together with Kara and his friends, but mainly with each other.

Grant was soon pulled from his thoughts due to a buzzing sound suddenly being heard coming from Skye's jeans pocket. "What the hell is that buzzing sound?"

"That would be my cell phone vibrating" said Skye, as she pulled out her cell phone from her jeans pocket and glanced at the screen to see who was calling her.

"You have a cell phone?" asked Grant, as he glanced to Skye and then back to the road.

"Of course I do" said Skye, frowning at her cell phone in her hand. "Everyone has a cell phone."

"I didn't think you'd still have one" said Grant, frowning. "After all who could possibly be calling you?"

"The only person that has this number and knows he isn't to call me unless it's an emergency" said Skye, swallowing thickly, as her thumb hovered over the _Answer Call _button.

"And who would that be?" asked Grant, as he tried to tilt his head towards Skye's cell phone and get a closer look at the caller I.D.

"Fitz..." replied Skye, trailing off.

"Don't answer him, Skye" said Grant, swallowing dryly, as he jerked his head to look at her. "It could be a trap to find you."

"Just trust me, okay? It won't be a trap" said Skye, wetting her lips a little nervously. "Fitz wouldn't set me up like that, out of everyone, he just wouldn't. Not after what he did to help me escape, hence the reason why he's the only one that has this number."

"What did he do to help you?" asked Grant, brows furrowing. "What else have you kept from me about why you ran from Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D., Skye?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. I'm sorry, Grant, but..." said Skye, trailing off to hit _Answer Call_ on her cell phone and then placing it next to her ear. "...Fitz?"

"Skye!_ No!_ Hang up! _Please!"_ yelled Grant, immediately panicking that she'd just walked into a trap, as he frantically glanced back and forth from Skye to the road.

"_SKYE! OH THANK GOD YOU ANSWERED! SKYE, PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!" _came Leo's panicked and quite high pitched voice down the line and loud enough for even Grant to hear him.


	8. An Unexpected Turn

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 8: An Unexpected Turn  
**

* * *

"Turn the car around, Ward!" yelled Skye loudly from where she sat beside him in the passenger seat of his Red Lamborghini. "Turn the car around _NOW!"_

"I already told you that the answer is _NO!"_ yelled Grant right back from the driver's seat, as he kept his eyes fixed firmly on the wide open road in front of him and promptly kept on ignoring Skye's pleas for him to turn the car around.

Ever since Skye had ended her call to Leo a little over 10 minutes ago now she'd been trying non-stop to get him to stop the car and turn it around so they could go and pick him up from a rendezvous point they'd discussed together.

"But I told Fitz that I was going to go and get him!" yelled Skye even louder, narrowing her eyes at Grant beside her. "I promised him, Ward!"

"You promised him that without consulting with me first, Skye!" yelled Grant in response, glancing at her before fixing his eyes upon the road again. "I'm not going to get him when he wouldn't even tell you why he needed help in the first place! Or what type of trouble he's gotten himself mixed up in! How do you know it's not a trap to try and lure you out into the open so Coulson can capture you?!"

"Because I trust Fitz, okay?!" exclaimed Skye. "You might not but I do! I've no reason to not trust him after everything that he's ever done for me!"

"And what would that be, huh?" asked Grant curiously. "I'm curious to know."

"Just stop the car, Ward" said Skye sternly. "If you don't want to help me help Fitz then that's fine. But you can't stop me from going alone."

"The hell I can't!" scoffed Grant.

"You don't own me, Ward!" snapped Skye. "I can do whatever the hell I want and whenever the hell I want to do it! And what I want to do is go and help my best friend so let me out of this damn car!"

"And how exactly do you plan on getting to the rendezvous point that you set up with Fitz when it's hours away from where we are?" asked Grant, shaking his head at her. "By the time we get to Fitz the night will have settled in. There's no guarantee that he'd even still be there."

"I'll hitchhike if I have to" said Skye, shrugging. "But either way I intend on helping Fitz and you can't stop me!"

"I'm not stopping this car, Skye" said Grant, sighing heavily. "You agreed to come with me and that's what you're doing. I never agreed to have Fitz join us as a tag-a-long!"

"If you don't stop this car and let me out then I will make you!" yelled Skye, as she clasped her fists together tightly at her sides and made the ground below them tremble just a little.

"Keep that up and all you're likely to accomplish is the both of us dying in a car crash" said Grant, as he did his best to continue driving in a straight line despite the ground continuing to tremble and nearly steer him otherwise. "And that's only if the ground doesn't crack first and swallow us both whole."

"Don't even joke about that..." said Skye a little quietly. "...because you know fine well that I'm actually capable of doing that."

"I didn't mean for my words to upset you" said Grant apologetically, flashing her a small smile. "I'm sorry, Skye."

"Please stop the car, Grant" sighed Skye, her eyes pleading with his own, as she did her best to concentrate on stopping the small tremors around her. "I have to help Fitz. So if you truly love me then you'll support me in wanting to help him."

"And if you truly love me then you'll understand my apprehensions in being wary about the whole situation" sighed Grant, soon sighing again only this time in relief over the tremors finally stopping and allowing him to once again drive in a straight line. "I fear it's a trap despite what you say. And if it's not then Fitz is likely to smother me in my sleep after what I did to him."

"I think you and Fitz seeing each other again could actually be a good thing" said Skye, smiling at him. "You'll both be on even ground and away from Coulson and May's prying eyes. You can finally have an honest conversation with each other that's long overdue. This could be your chance for the both of you to finally let go of the past together. You won't know until you try though, just like we didn't, and that worked out well in the end. So if we can move on, be happy together and finally start a relationship with each other then you and Fitz can easily move on and repair your friendship."

"Yeah, maybe..." said Grant, trailing off to think about it. If he was honest with himself then he actually missed Leo, since he'd always viewed him as his closest friend on the team, and at times even his best friend. He wanted to see him again, truly he did, but even he was smart enough to know that their friendship could never be what it once used to be and he only had himself to blame for that. "...but then again maybe not. He'd probably never recover from the shock of seeing you turn up to help him with me of all people tagging along."

"That's what you think..." muttered Skye under her breath, as she bit down on her bottom lip and glanced away from him.

"What did you mean by that?" asked Grant curiously, glancing between Skye and the road. "You never mentioned my name to Fitz on the phone so there's no way that he can know that I'm with you."

Skye just remained silent while flashing him a faint smile.

"Alright, that's it!" sighed Grant, as he slammed his foot down on the brakes and brought the car to a screeching halt. "We agreed no more lies once we left the apartment, Skye!" Turning to face her he soon had his eyes locked with her own. "Tell me the truth! Does Fitz know that you've been travelling with me and Kara this whole time and if the answer is yes then how long has he known?!"

"No, he doesn't know that I've been travelling with you guys" answered Skye truthfully, as she turned in her own seat so she could face him fully. "But he probably suspects it, especially since it was his idea."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Grant, brows furrowing.

"If I tell you the truth then you have to promise me that we'll go and get Fitz afterwards, okay?" said Skye, as she reached out towards him and took a hold of both of his hands in her own, squeezing them tightly. "Trust goes both ways like I said yesterday. So if I'm to continue trusting you then you have to start trusting me too."

"I do trust you, Skye" said Grant, as he squeezed her hands back. "I'm just not too keen on trusting Fitz, especially after our last encounter, to which I can't really blame him for."

"I think after what I'm about to tell you next then you'll trust him a lot more" said Skye, smiling softly.

"I'm listening" said Grant, nodding at her. "Tell me what he did to help you that warrants you trusting him so much."

Taking a deep breath Skye slowly released it, as she then took not only herself but Grant as well back to the day that she had fled The Playground and left S.H.I.E.L.D. behind her for good…

**{flashback}**

_Skye ran as fast as she could through the crumpled ruins of The Playground, jumping over scattered brick after scattered brick, dodging falling debris from the walls that were continuing to fall apart at the very seams and vaulting over small cracks in the ground, all the while doing her best to get as far away as she possibly could before Coulson caught up to her, or worse, May. _

_Skye's heart was beating more rapidly than it ever had before, as the world around her continued to shake and tremble, refusing to stop since she had no idea how she was even meant to begin in stopping it. All she knew was that right now she had to get the hell out of there before she was caught and put down like a dying dog, though after what she'd done to two of her teammates and had then promptly destroyed The Playground afterwards she couldn't help but think to herself that maybe it was something she actually deserved to happen to her._

"_SKYE! WAIT!" yelled the all to familiar voice of Leo Fitz behind her, which made her stop in her tracks to glance back at him._

"_Stay back, Fitz! I don't want to hurt you!" yelled Skye, as she stood her ground in front of him, her fists clenched into tight balls at her sides and the ground below her lightly shaking in warning for him to not come any closer to her. "Go back to the others where you'll be safe!"_

"_No, Skye! Not without you!" yelled Leo, as he came to a halt not far from her, tears slowly welling up behind his eyes._

"_I can't go back, Fitz! You heard what Coulson said! I can never go back!" cried Skye, as she failed to keep a hold of her own tears that had been welling up behind her eyes._

"_Yes you can! I'll make sure of it, okay?! I promise you, Skye! I'll get Coulson and the others to realise that what happened wasn't your fault!" cried Leo, his grip on his own tears now failing as they slowly started to make their way down his cheeks. "I don't want to lose you, Skye! Please!"_

"_I destroyed The Playground! I killed Hunter and possibly Bobbi too! I'm a monster because of what I've done!" screamed Skye._

"_No you aren't!" screamed Leo right back. "You can't control what you can do, Skye! And there's nothing wrong with that, alright?! The others have to understand that! I'll make them understand! I'll help you!"_

"_Why do you even want to help me, Fitz? Why would you want to help me knowing that one day I might accidentally kill you too?" asked Skye sadly._

"_Because you're my friend, Skye..." replied Leo, smiling a small, faint smile at her. "...and you'd do the same for me if our roles were reversed right now. I know you would."_

"_You're right, I would" said Skye, nodding at him tearfully. "But seriously, Fitz, just go back to the others. I'll be fine on my own. I have been many times in the past."_

"_No, Skye, because no one should be all alone..." said Leo, as he slowly started inching closer towards her. "...and especially not you. You need help right now. You need support. You need all of your friends."_

"_I don't have any friends left" cried Skye. "I killed Hunter and Bobbi. I was never close to Mack, not really. Simmons practically hates me now and constantly refers to me as The Hulk behind my back. And as for Coulson and May not only are they scared of me now but they just want to contain me and then neutralise me afterwards. I know they do, especially Coulson. But who can blame him? I killed Hunter and Bobbi, just like I killed Tripp."_

"_Forget about all of them, Skye" said Leo, as he came to a deadbolt stop in front of her. "Sometimes all you need is one friend, which you do, because you still have me."_

"_If this is your way of saying you'll flee this place and go on the run with me then the answer is no, Fitz" said Skye as sternly as she could, though deep down she was touched that Leo even seemed to be considering the idea. "I appreciate the offer but you can't come with me because right now I'm too dangerous to be around."_

"_But what about when you aren't anymore?" asked Leo, smiling hopefully. "I could join up with you then, right?"_

"_I'm always going to be on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. from now on, so I don't think that's such a good idea..." said Skye sadly, trailing off. _

"_I won't let you resign yourself to being alone for the rest of your life, Skye..." said Leo, as he slowly and tentatively reached out towards one of her clenched fists, uncurled her fingers and then squeezed her hand tightly in his. "...friends like me and you we stick together no matter what."_

_Skye couldn't help but lunge forwards and fling her arms around Leo in that moment, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and burying her face against his shoulder, smiling to herself when she felt him wrap his arms just as tightly around her waist and bury his own face against her shoulder. "Thank you, Fitz. I really needed to hear that. But you still can't come with me."_

"_Skye, please-"_

"_No, Fitz! I'm not going to ruin your life, take you on the run with me and subject you to constantly looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life!" exclaimed Skye. "You deserve so much more than that."_

"_So do you, Skye" said Leo, sniffling a little. "I don't want you to be all alone, especially not now."_

"_FITZ! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" came Mack's voice not too far from them. "C'MON, TURBO! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME THEN ANSWER ME! WHERE DID YOU GO RUNNING OFF TO?!"_

"_I have to go!" whispered Skye, as she suddenly pulled back from Leo with a panicked look upon her face. "I can't let Mack of all people find me since he's likely to kill me on sight because Hunter and Bobbi were his best friends! I'm sorry, Fitz, but I have to go and you can't come with me!"_

"_I'll let you go on one condition, okay?" said Leo, his eyes locking with hers. "You have to promise me something, Skye. Can you do that?"_

"_Anything! Just name it! But please hurry before Mack finds me!" nodded Skye in agreement._

"_Promise me you won't remain alone forever. Promise me that you'll look for someone that you know. Promise me that you'll go to someone that will always protect you no matter what!" said Leo, his eyes now pleading and begging with her own to listen to him._

"_And who would that be?!" asked Skye, furrowing her brows in confusion. _

"_Ward..." replied Leo ever so quietly, swallowing thickly. "...you have to find Ward."_

**{end flashback}**

_"You're kidding me, right?!"_ exclaimed Grant, dumbfounded and with his mouth all agape. "Fitz was the one that told you to find me?!"

"Yep!" nodded Skye, popping the _'p'._ "Bet you never saw that one coming, huh?"

"Never in a million years..." said Grant, trailing off to frown.

"I didn't exactly agree with him at the time but I also didn't have a lot of time to argue with him either since Mack's yelling was getting closer and closer to us. So I just agreed with him to placate him if anything, though I had zero intention of actually looking for you, but I needed to run so I just told Fitz what he wanted to hear at the time" said Skye, shrugging nonchalantly. "And then he quickly wrote down a number on a piece of paper and slipped it into my hand, telling me to call that number should I ever find myself in serious trouble and need his help. Before I fled he told me to ditch my cell phone and buy a new one, text the number to the one he'd given me so he always had mine and that he would never call it unless he was also in serious trouble and needed my help too. And then I ran, not once looking back because it was just too painful at the time. When I got far enough away I ditched my cell phone, got myself a new one and texted the number to Fitz just like he told me to. But until this day I never even knew if he got my text because he never answered, probably for the best though, since we'd no doubt have continued texting each other and Coulson or May could've found his cell phone and found out he knew of a way to contact me."

"Good ole', Fitz!" said Grant, chuckling softly. "I'm really glad that he looked out for you like that."

"Me too" said Skye, smiling. "He was there for me when no one else was and the only one that truly accepted me with powers."

"Until you met up with me" said Grant, smiling softly at her. "Because I accept you with powers too. Don't ever forget that."

"I promise I won't" smiled Skye, as she leaned over and kissed him tenderly.

"So why did you change your mind about looking for me?" asked Grant curiously. "What made you go from simply telling Fitz what he wanted to hear to actually doing what he asked which was find me?"

"Because a promise is a promise" said Skye, sighing. "And just like you I'm not the type of person to break my promises, especially when I make them to people that I care about."

"I just can't believe that Fitz was the one that told you to find me" said Grant, still a little dumbfounded. "Here's me thinking that you found me because you actually wanted to find me and also because, y'know, being madly in love with me you just couldn't bare to live without me anymore."

"Don't make me slap that smug grin off of your face, Ward!" huffed Skye, rolling her eyes at him. "I did find you because I wanted to as well. I had to know that you were still alive after I shot you."

"So you could finish the job?" asked Grant, his smug smile remaining etched across his face.

"Considering you're still alive that didn't happen, did it?" said Skye, smirking.

"I'm sorry, baby. I was just teasing you" said Grant, leaning over and kissing her. "Though back when you did first find me it was a possibility in my mind for quite a while. That's why I kept my distance from you and let you mainly hang around Kara and build up the friendship that you did with her. I would never have turned you away or turned my back on you, but I still couldn't just let my guard down completely around you back then, at least not until our first passionate night we spent together."

"I know and I understand, because I'd have done the same thing had our roles been reversed" said Skye, squeezing his hands tightly that she still held in her own. "But that wariness that you felt it's all behind you now because we've more than moved past it all. We're in a relationship now and we're doing our damnedest to put the past behind us both for good."

"We've already put the past behind us" smiled Grant. "Because now we're focusing on our future which is far away from here. You do still want that, right?"

"Of course I do" smiled Skye, giving him a quick, reassuring kiss. "But I can't abandon Fitz when he needs me the most. He would never have abandoned me if I hadn't of made him. Please, Grant, let's go and make sure he's okay."

"And then what, Skye?" asked Grant with a sigh. "He tags along with us to my friend's mansion where Kara is?"

"I refuse to abandon him, Grant" said Skye, her voice thick with determination. "So he either comes with us or I don't go with you."

"An ultimatum, real nice..." said Grant, glancing away from her. "...tell me, Skye, what would you do if I told you to get out of my car and go and find Fitz by yourself?" Grant's response was a swift intake of breath from Skye and the ground all around them starting to tremble. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"I love you, Grant" said Skye softly, as she hooked her fingers underneath his chin and turned his face back towards her. "I can't lose you again."

"I can't lose you again either, Skye" said Grant, as he cupped her face in the palm of his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you too."

"Then what do we do?" asked Skye, glancing up at him. "How do we compromise?"

"We don't" said Grant, as he pulled back from her and locked his eyes with hers. "I swallow my pride instead and just give you whatever you want. So let's go and get Fitz."

_"Really?!_ Thank you, Grant!" exclaimed Skye happily, as she dived at him and promptly settled herself in his lap, straddling him with her hips and proceeding to pepper his entire face with little kisses. "You're the best boyfriend _ever!"_

"You owe me for this, Skye" chuckled Grant, as he happily lounged back in his seat and let Skye continue to pepper his face with as many kisses as she felt like. "I'm thinking some passionate lovemaking where you're bent over the bonnet of my car should do it."

"I am so gonna hold you to that!" grinned Skye wickedly, kissing him deeply. "But first we should go and get Fitz since it'll take us a good few hours to get to him."

"Fitz is a damn cockblocker and he doesn't even know it..." sighed Grant frustratedly.

"Just start the car and let's get a move on already" giggled Skye, kissing him once more before sliding off of his lap and back into the passenger seat. "I promise I'll make it up to you and totally worthwhile as soon as we're alone together again and get the chance."

"Oh, I know you will..." smirked Grant smugly, flashing her a cheeky wink before turning the key in the ignition and starting up the car.

* * *

_Later that night…_

"This is where he said he'd be..." said Skye, trailing off, as she slipped out of Grant's car he'd parked not far from a run down old diner simply called _Bill's._ "...but I can't see him anywhere."

_"Skye..."_ said Grant, practically growling it, as he walked around his car towards her, his right hand extended out towards her to take. _"...hand."_

"Overprotective, much?" laughed Skye, as she more than happily indulged his need to hold her hand.

"Don't act like you don't secretly love it" grinned Grant, giving her hand a tight squeeze and keeping a hold of it afterwards.

Skye just smiled at him and leaned up on her tiptoes to place a quick, cute little kiss against his grinning lips. "Just help me find Fitz."

Before Grant could respond he was prevented from doing so from a loud _"SKYE!" _coming from around the corner of the diner where Leo suddenly appeared out of nowhere, a duffel bag swung over his left shoulder and came running straight towards them like a bat out of Hell.

"_FITZ!" _yelled Skye, a wide smile immediately spreading across her face at seeing him again, as she then tugged her hand out of Grant's and held out her arms for Leo to run into the closer he got towards her.

"You actually came!" cried Leo, as he dropped his duffel bag and ran into Skye's outstretched arms, clinging to her ever so tightly. "I knew I could count on you!"

"You can always count on me, Fitz" said Skye, as she hugged him tighter and started lightly crying onto his shoulder. "You've always been there for me in the past and now it's my turn to be there for you."

"I was worried you might change your mind about coming, that you might think it was, uh, y'know, a trap and what not..." said Leo, as he pulled back to smile at her meekly. "...but it's not. I promise you. I'm the only one here and I wasn't followed. I made sure of that."

"It's okay, Fitz. I believe you" said Skye, smiling warmly at him. "Out of everyone left on the team you're the only one that I trust nowadays."

"And you're the only one that I trust from the team nowadays too" said Leo, sighing sadly. "A lot has changed since you've been gone, Skye. Not for the better either. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Coulson they aren't how you remember them anymore and I no longer want to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. I wanna stay with you."

"Shh, it's okay, Fitz, everything'll be okay..." said Skye softly and as soothingly as she could while tugging Leo towards her for another hug. She wasn't sure what had possibly gone down with Coulson or had since happened to S.H.I.E.L.D. since she'd left but she was determined to find out. But regardless of her curiosity and desire to know she wasn't going to push Leo for answers tonight as she could tell that he was still pretty shook up from fleeing whatever he'd fled from. "...you're safe with us now. I promise you that we'll take care of you and we'll keep you safe."

"Us?" said Leo, as he pulled back from her once more and finally allowed his eyes to glance behind Skye and settle upon Grant standing quietly behind them, his hands in his jeans' pockets and a wary look upon his face at the reunion playing out in front of him. "Ah, I see what you mean now."

"I promised you I'd find him and I did" said Skye, smiling between them both. "I don't suppose there's a chance you boys will promise me you'll play nice together is there?"

"Ward..." said Leo, trailing off, his eyes never once leaving Grant's.

His own eyes now firmly settled on Leo in front of him Grant simply nodded. "...Fitz."


	9. All We Have Is Each Other

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9: All We Have Is Each Other  
**

* * *

"So she found you then?" asked Leo, quirking his left brow up at Grant.

"Apparently you told her to" said Grant, as he quirked his own brow up at Leo.

"Because I knew you would do anything to protect her, especially from S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA and anyone else just as shady wishing to corrupt her and capitalize on her powers" said Leo, shrugging. "But to be completely honest I didn't think she'd actually listen to me."

"You gotta have more faith in me, Fitz" said Skye, shaking her head at him. "I made you a promise and I wasn't going to break it."

"He's taken care of you, right?" asked Leo, as he turned to face Skye. "He's protected you however he can, right? And he hasn't, uh, tried to take advantage of you or anything has he?"

"Take advantage of her?!" scoffed Grant. "What the hell are you even implying with that, Fitz?!"

"Whoa, okay, stop right there! I'm calling a time out before you two start arguing!" huffed Skye frustratedly. "Just chill, alright?! _Both of you!"_

"Whatever" sighed Grant, as he turned away from them both and started walking back towards his car. "Let's just get back in the car. The sooner we're back on the road again then the better."

"Gee, you'd think he was unhappy to see me or something!" snorted Leo.

"Just try to be civil with him, okay?" asked Skye, her eyes pleading with Leo's. "Can you do that for me, please?"

"I'll do my best" said Leo, nodding at her. "But I hold no promises either. There's a long overdue talk, or fight, that me and Ward need to have with each other at some point."

"If you can then try and keep it to simply a talk" said Skye, as she took Leo by his arm and started leading him towards the car. "And just so you know he's taken really good care of me and I know if it ever came down to it that he'd protect me with his life if he had to."

"I knew if anyone would then Ward would" said Leo, smiling at her. "He always did whenever it came to you."

"And he always will" smiled Skye, as she opened the door to the backseat for him and beckoned for him to get in with a tilt of her head. "You can trust me on that."

"You're the only one that I truly trust these days, Skye, and it's the reason why I turned to you when I had no one left" said Leo a little sadly, tossing his duffel bag into the backseat and then sliding in after it.

Skye merely frowned upon hearing that as she closed the door to the backseat after Leo. She wanted to grill him on what he meant exactly, but she also didn't want to push him into revealing whatever it was that had happened exactly to make him flee from S.H.I.E.L.D. before he was ready. Sighing a little heavily she opened the passenger side door and slipped into the passenger seat beside Grant, flashing him a smile as she closed the door after her and fastened her seatbelt. "You wanted to hit the road again so let's hit the road."

"You got it" said Grant, as he turned the key in the ignition and put his foot down on the accelerator, soon driving the three of them away from the diner and onto the highway.

"So where are we going exactly?" asked Leo curiously, as he leaned forward from where he sat in the middle on the backseat and glanced between Skye and Grant expectantly.

"Hell if I know" said Skye, glancing back at Leo. "I'm only on a _'need to know basis' _right now."

"Huh?" muttered Leo confusedly.

"Grant won't tell me where we're going because it's some big secret surprise or something" shrugged Skye. "I've given up asking him. But wherever we're going it's going to take us at least a week, give or take, to get there via car, so we're on a road trip for now."

"Where are we going?" asked Leo, as he glanced from Skye to Grant. "I want to know, Ward."

"I'm taking us to stay with a close friend of mine that I trust will keep us all safe from S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, you name it" replied Grant, as he kept his eyes on the road in front of him. "And it's where Kara currently is too."

"Kara?" said Leo, brows quirked. "Who the hell is Kara?"

"Kara Palamas" answered Skye, tilting her head back to face Leo again. "You remember Agent 33? Kara is her real name."

"You've been travelling with Agent 33?" asked Leo, frowning slightly. "How'd that happen?"

"After Skye shot me San Juan it was Kara that picked me up afterwards and helped nurse me back to health again" answered Grant. "After I was back on my feet I decided to help her however I could come out of what was left of her brainwashing from Whitehall and regain her identity and agency back."

"But doesn't she still have Agent May's face because of the nano mask?" asked Leo.

"No thanks to Agent May short circuiting it and leaving burns and permanent scars behind on her real face" said Grant bitterly, as he gripped the steering wheel in front of him tightly until his knuckles went white. "She won't look like Agent May for long now though, and should hopefully have her real face back soon, because my friend is helping her out when it comes to that as well. And that's all you need to know for now."

"So I'm to trust Agent 33 as well when I know absolutely nothing about her other than she's been with you this whole time?" asked Leo, frowning again. "Are you sure she's no longer brainwashed and working for HYDRA to, oh, I dunno, re-recruit you or something?"

"Her name is _Kara_, not Agent 33, but _Kara!_" snapped Grant, as he glanced from the road briefly to Leo. "She no longer works for S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA and she has a name like we all do, which is _Kara_, and that's the name that she goes by now! Learn it and remember it, Fitz! And quit with the goddamn HYDRA quips too! I was never loyal to HYDRA and I never will be."

"Whoa, alright, geez!" exclaimed Leo, glaring at Grant. "I get that her name is Kara so there's no need to bite my head off about it, Ward! Why are you so overprotective of her and quick to defend her? Are you and her, like, uh, together now or something?"

"What? _No!_" exclaimed Grant, shaking his head. "Kara is like a sister to me. Our relationship is purely platonic. I'm overprotective of her like a brother would be his sister and I'm quick to defend her because no one else does. Everyone around her turned their backs on her when she needed them the most, just like they did with me. We were there for each other when no one else was and it made us close friends. We owe each other."

"Calm down, sweetie" said Skye, as she reached out her hand to squeeze his leg closest to her soothingly, since she could tell that his anger was slowly rising. "Fitz didn't mean to offend you. So just calm down, sweetie."

"Okay, okay, I'm calming down..." said Grant, sighing deeply and instantly feeling a calm sensation wash over him due to Skye squeezing his leg soothingly. "...thank you, baby. I needed that."

"What's up with calling each other _'sweetie' _and _'baby' _all of a sudden?" asked Leo, completely puzzled. "What am I missing here?"

"Oh, we're just, um..." said Skye, trailing off to think how best to answer him. _Shit! Fitz doesn't know about me and Grant being a lot closer to each other intimately now…_

"Do you wanna know another reason why there's nothing going on with me and Kara and never will?" asked Grant, flashing Leo a slightly smug grin before turning his attention back towards the road in front of him. "Because Skye is my girlfriend, not Kara."

_"What?!_ No she isn't! Right, Skye?!" exclaimed Leo, poking Skye in her back to regain her attention since she'd closed her eyes and scrunched up her nose.

_"Ow, _Fitz! Quit poking me!" grimaced Skye, as she smacked Leo's hand away and glared at him over her shoulder. "And, um, what was the question again?"

"Are you and Ward together?" asked Leo, glaring right back at her. "He's totally taken advantage of you while you've been with him, hasn't he?!"

_"No!_ Oh my god, Fitz! I've been more than willing!" exclaimed Skye a little louder than she'd intended to. _"Wait!_ I mean, um, Ward help me out here!"

"I think you're doing just fine on your own, baby" smirked Grant, as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Yeah, no thanks to you _'Mr. Skye is my girlfriend now!'_" huffed Skye exasperatedly.

"All I did was tell you to find him, Skye, so you'd have someone to look out for you!" sighed Leo, as he flopped backwards against the backseat. "I didn't tell you to sleep with him and fall for his charms!"

"It's not like that, Fitz! I don't know what you're thinking right now but if it's that I jumped into bed with Grant the first moment I laid eyes on him again then you're wrong because that isn't what happened!" sighed Skye. "It took me a few weeks to even get him to trust me again, Kara included, after I shot him 4 times and left him for dead back in San Juan and rightfully so too, because I wouldn't have forgiven me so quickly after I did that either. But after a few weeks on the road together we slowly learned to trust each other again to the point it all escalated into something more one night."

"Please don't go into details because I don't need to know any details" said Leo, grimacing at the thought.

"I know you still have your own issues with him but when it comes to the ones that I had with him then we sorted them out weeks ago now" said Skye, as she turned in her seat a little so she could glance back towards Leo. "We're together now and you're just going to have to accept that, yeah? I want to be with Grant and he wants to be with me so we're seeing if we can make it work."

"I get it" said Leo, smiling a small smile at her. "You're in love with him."

"Yeah, I'm in love with him" said Skye, as she sat back in her seat and smiled at Grant.

"And I'm in love with Skye" said Grant, as he smiled back at her.

"Oh, _God_, please don't be one of _those _couples!" groaned Leo. "If you two start getting all lovey dovey with each other in front of me then I'll have to, um, well I don't know right now but I'll think of something!"

"Become a cockblocker?" chuckled Grant.

"_Grant!" _hissed Skye, while failing to hide her smile she flashed him.

"Not quite the word I would've personally used, but yeah, if only to spare my poor brain of needing non-existent brain bleach!" said Leo, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I'm happy for you guys. Well, I'm happy for Skye, mostly that is."

"Do me a favour and find us a bar?" asked Skye, glancing at Grant. "And then pull over."

"Why do you want me to pull over at a bar?" asked Grant, furrowing his brows at Skye.

"Because I'm in desperate need of a stiff drink until the two of you sit you're asses down and hash out all of the lingering issues and animosity that you still have with each other!" snapped Skye.

"That'll be easier said than done..." said Grant, trailing off.

"Yeah, what he said..." said Leo, also trailing off.

"I don't care! So just find a bar and pull over!" sighed Skye, as she turned in her seat to glance between them both, rolling her eyes at them both sporting matching frowns at the idea of sitting down and finally attempting to have an honest conversation with each other over everything that had happened between them. "This needs to happen! Because like it or not, along with Kara, all we have is each other!"


	10. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word  
**

* * *

"Are you two ever going to start talking to each other?" sighed Skye, as she rolled her eyes and took a sip from her beer bottle. To say she was getting fed up with the silent treatment that Grant and Leo were insisting on giving each other ever since they'd stopped off at the first bar they could find a little over half an hour ago now would be an understatement. "In order to talk about past issues between you both it actually helps if you guys actually talk to each other, y'know?"

"What difference will it make?" asked Grant, as he glanced at Skye sitting beside him. "We've done too much to each other in the past to ever be able to work it all out between us."

"You won't know that for sure though unless you at least try first" said Skye, sighing once more. "I used to think the same thing regarding me and you but now look at us! We're a lot happier and we're actually working on having a relationship with each other."

"It's different with us" sighed Grant.

"Oh for crying out loud! I made you stop at this bar so that the two of you could talk over some drinks and that's exactly what you're going to do!" snapped Skye. "We're sitting in a booth at the very back of the bar so people can't overhear you or if either of you suddenly start yelling at each other! So just start talking already because we are _not _leaving this bar until you do!"

After taking a sip of his beer for Dutch courage Leo narrowed his eyes and settled them solely on Grant sitting across from him. "Skye is right. We do need to try and resolve as much as we possibly can between each other, since I think we're going to be pretty much stuck with each other from now on."

"Only if you decide to stay with us and go wherever me and Skye go" said Grant dryly. "Because we're not forcing you to join us, Fitz."

"I don't have any other choice" said Leo, frowning. "I can't go back to Coulson or S.H.I.E.L.D. because I'm not welcome anymore."

"Welcome to our world, Fitz" scoffed Grant, as he took a sip of his beer. "Why can't you go back though? I understand why I can't and even why Skye can't anymore either but what could you have possibly done that stops you from ever returning to Coulson and the team? Or even Simmons for that matter."

"That's a story for another day" said Leo, sighing deeply. "Because right now we've bigger things to talk about."

"Fine. So where would you like to start?" asked Grant, as he leaned back against the headboard of the booth they were all seated at and then casually lifted up his left arm to drape it around Skye's shoulders and tug her closer to him.

Skye remained silent as she shuffled closer to Grant's side when he draped his arm around her shoulders, leaning into his warm embrace and sipping from her beer silently the whole time, since she didn't intend on saying anything or intervening during their talk unless she felt like she absolutely had to.

"I was thinking we'd start with that time you decided to eject me and Jemma into the middle of the ocean via a med pod" said Leo, furrowing his brows.

"We've already talked about this, Fitz" sighed Grant deeply, as he ran his free hand through his hair a little shakily. "Or don't you remember our little chat that we had when I was still incarcerated in Vault D back at The Playground?"

"The only thing I remember about that day is you trying to manipulate me into believing all of your lies and pathetic excuses" scoffed Leo.

"Now that's funny because what I remember most is you trying to suck the life out of my side of Vault D in order to suffocate me" said Grant bitterly. "Even though I'd done nothing but tell you the truth because while I was in Vault D all I ever did was tell the truth. I never lied about anything."

"I didn't believe you then and I don't believe you now" said Leo, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Fitz, just give him the benefit of the doubt, please?" asked Skye, her eyes pleading with his. "Just do it for me if not for him, okay?"

"There's nothing that he can say or do that will ever make me believe he wasn't trying to kill me and Jemma that day, Skye" said Leo, as he glanced between them.

"Just like I told you that day back in Vault D Garrett ordered me to kill you and Simmons. He expected me to put a bullet in your heads, but I couldn't" said Grant truthfully. "So instead I gave you both a fighting chance to find a way out of there, just like you always do, and just like you did. I didn't want to hurt you. I tried to avoid it."

_"You tried to kill us!" _exclaimed Leo.

"No, I didn't" said Grant, shaking his head at him. "I wanted to save you."

"By dropping us into the middle of the ocean in a med pod where we sunk and nearly drowned?!" yelled Leo, his anger now slowly rising. "I'm damaged because of you! I'm getting better, especially at talking without stuttering, but I'm still damaged because of you!"

"That stupid med pod was never meant to sink!" yelled Grant just as angrily. "The med pod was supposed to float! It was never meant to _fucking _sink!"

"How the hell would you know if it was supposed to float or not?!" yelled Leo as loudly as he could.

"Because they are designed to float and everyone on our team was required to know that just in case!" yelled Grant, as he slammed his fist down angrily onto the table in from of him, only feeling a little soothed when he felt Skye's hand on his leg squeezing it comfortingly. "And also because I set it to float before I ejected it from the plane."

"You really set it to float?" asked Leo, wide eyed. "You actually knew how to do that?"

"I'm not an idiot, Fitz" scowled Grant. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know how to set those med pods to float, y'know?"

"Why should I even believe you?" asked Leo, scowling back at him. "You could've just so easily have set it to sink as well."

"Think about it, Fitz..." said Grant, as he locked his eyes with his. "...you would've been able to tell if it had been set to sink. But instead it malfunctioned which caused it to sink and you know that."

Leo swallowed thickly before speaking again. "On impact the atmospheric adaptation tried to compensate and we slowly sunk as it increased the density of the outer walls."

"There you go" said Skye, flashing Leo a small smile. "He tried to save you and Simmons."

"Yeah, I guess he did" said Leo, swallowing thickly again. "But at the end of the day there were still better options than ejecting us from the plane via a med pod!"

"Like what, Fitz?!" exclaimed Grant. "My only other option was to put a bullet in your head! I didn't have any other options!"

"That's what you keep on telling yourself so that you can always turn it around and justify it!" snapped Leo. "But there's _always _another option!"

"You're right, Fitz, because there was one more option" said Grant, as he narrowed his eyes at Leo. "My only other option was to refuse to shoot you and Simmons while I was then forced to stand back and watch while Garrett ordered one of the HYDRA agents to do it instead. And that's only if Garrett decided against pulling the trigger himself."

"No, Ward, no..." said Leo sadly, as a few lone tears built up at the back of his eyes. "...because your other option was to take out the HYDRA agents and then finally Agent Garrett. You're last option was to choose me and Jemma over Agent Garrett!"

"Fitz, I..." said Grant, as he slowly trailed off to gulp. "...I owed Garrett everything."

"You owed us too, Ward!" yelled Leo, his eyes never once leaving his. "You were a member of our team! You were our friend! You were one of us! We trusted you and we cared about you! And you just went and betrayed us all!"

"Don't you think that I regret that more than anything?!" yelled Grant. "You were all my friends too! I cared about everyone on our team in different ways! But it didn't matter at the end of the day because I owed Garrett everything and my loyalty was to him long before I ever met you or anyone on the team!"

"You owed him _nothing, _Ward" said Leo, his voice softening a little. "That's just what he made you believe over the years via mental and emotional brainwashing. I see that now more than ever."

"I wasn't brainwashed, Fitz" said Grant, his eyes darkening slightly.

"I never said that you were physically brainwashed or anything like that" sighed Leo. "I said you were brainwashed by Agent Garrett mentally and emotionally over the years. He made you into what he wanted you to be, which you even said yourself to Skye once, because she told me that you did. You have to realise that Agent Garrett conditioned you over the years to do what he wanted you to do and in doing so he stripped you of your entire agency and your right to ever really be able to think for yourself."

"_NO!" _yelled Grant, as he angrily jumped to his feet and started pacing back and forth. "That is not what he did, okay?! He helped me and I owed him a debt!"

"A debt which you suffered greatly for because you lost _everything_ and _everyone_ that ever cared about you" said Leo, as he lifted his beer bottle to his lips and slowly took a sip. "Agent Garrett is dead and you'll always be paying for his crimes as well as your own, especially where Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. are concerned."

Grant couldn't stop his breath from hitching ever so violently in the back of his throat upon hearing that. He knew deep down that everything Leo had said was true and that it always would be, even though he wished it wasn't with every fibre of his being and that everything could just go back to how it used to be when the threat of HYDRA was still just a distant nightmare. But Grant was smart enough to know that they would never be able to go back to how things used to be, no matter how much he wanted it and at the end of the day he only had himself to blame for that.

Taking a deep breath Grant spun around and headed straight for the bar in a desperate need of something much stronger to drink than the beer he'd been sipping on.

_"Grant!_ Baby, wait! Where are you going?!" called out Skye, as she scrambled to her feet to run after him.

"I'm so sorry, Skye" said Leo apologetically. "I really wanted that to go a lot better than what it did for your sake."

"It's okay, Fitz, because truthfully it actually went a lot better than what I thought it would" sighed Skye tiredly. "I'm gonna go talk to him. You just stay here for now until he's clear headed again."

Leo just kept quiet and nodded at her a little deflatedly.

As Skye made her way over towards the bar she was far from impressed to find a peroxide blonde bimbo trying to hit on Grant, who she was happier to see was point blank ignoring the airhead's attempts to flirt with him and gain his attention. Sliding up beside him she soon made haste in shoving the blonde to the side a little roughly while jealously quipping _"Step away from my boyfriend before I leave scratch marks on your face!"_ Skye couldn't help but smile to herself a little proudly when the blonde immediately took off without even daring to quip anything back to her.

"You're hot when you're jealous" chuckled Grant, as he tugged her onto his lap, his right arm wrapping around her slim waist to keep her firmly in place and just as his lips sealed over hers ever so passionately.

"You're mine, Grant Douglas Ward, and nobody else's" giggled Skye between passionate little kisses.

"Likewise, baby" grinned Grant, as he pulled back from kissing her with a wolfish grin spreading across his face.

"Are you okay?" asked Skye, her tone of voice laced with concern for him. "I could tell that some of the things that Fitz said to you got to you a little bit."

"I'm fine" said Grant, flashing her a faint smile. "You don't need to worry about me, Skye."

"I'm your girlfriend, Grant, and I love you" said Skye, as she ran her fingers through his hair lovingly while smiling tenderly down at him. "I'm always going to worry about you."

"I honestly don't deserve a woman as amazing as you to love me" said Grant, sighing a little deflatedly. "I really don't."

"Yes you do" said Skye, leaning down to kiss him once more, as this time she was hoping to reassure him that he didn't just deserve her love, but that he deserved love in general. "You deserve to be loved, Grant. So don't ever believe that you don't. And contrary to what Fitz said you haven't lost everyone that ever cared about you because I'm still around and so is Kara. We'll never leave you. I also know that Fitz still cares about you deep down too."

"I'm not sure if I quite believe that last part" said Grant sadly. "But it doesn't matter. I don't deserve Fitz's forgiveness anyway."

"My forgiveness isn't up for you to decide, Ward" said Leo, as he appeared by Grant on his left side. "It's up to me and only me."

"Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me for everything that I've done?" asked Grant tentatively.

"I think so" replied Leo, as he flashed him a faint smile. "I'm just gonna need some time."

"I understand" nodded Grant. "Take all the time that you need."

"I'm sorry, Ward" said Leo, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry that I tried to suffocate you that day down in Vault D. I should never have done that because it wasn't morally right."

"I deserved it" said Grant quietly. "You don't have to apologise."

"Yes I do" said Leo, as he turned to face him. "No one deserved something like that happening to them. The option shouldn't even be there at all. It's completely inhumane when I think about it."

"What's done is done, Fitz" said Grant, as he too turned around to face him the best that he could with Skye still sitting on his lap. "We can't change the past no matter how much we might want to."

"But we can attempt to move on" said Leo, smiling a little. "It'll take time to fix everything between us, but I believe in the long run it's do-able."

"I'm willing to try if you are" smiled Grant. "I'm sorry too, Fitz. I should never have done what I did to you and Simmons. I'm really sorry. I can't even truly say how sorry I am though, because ultimately sorry seems to be the hardest word and it'll just never be enough. But I'll keep on doing it regardless for as long as it takes until it is enough, even if it takes me the rest of my life to make it all up to you."

"I won't make you apologise for the rest of your life, maybe just half of your life instead" chuckled Leo lightly. "I already partially forgive you anyway, not completely, but partially."

"Aweh! My boys are finally making progress in repairing their broken bromance!" beamed Skye.

"Bromance?" said Grant and Leo simultaneously.

"Oh, c'mon! You guys know you totally had a bromance going on before everything went to total and utter shit!" laughed Skye. "But now you're both finally on the right path to repairing it and I can only thank myself for that since it was after all my brilliant idea to get you both to talk!"

"Score one to you then, babe" chuckled Grant, as he leaned towards her and captured her lips with his own in a soft kiss.

"I can't believe that Skye has managed to actually make you into a lover of PDA!" muttered Leo under his breath, rolling his eyes at them kissing like a pair of lovestruck teenagers before shaking his head at them and setting off for the bathroom. "After I've been to the bathroom let's all hit the road again, yeah?"

"I'm thinking we should probably find a motel instead" grinned Grant, as he kissed Skye once more, only a little more passionately this time. "I'm kinda in the mood to celebrate a little over how the night ended up going."

"As long as Fitz gets his own motel room then I'm down for some celebrating with you" smiled Skye a little wickedly, as she nipped at his bottom lip playfully with her teeth.

"You do owe me for picking up Fitz after all..." said Grant, as he trailed off and flashed her a devilish wink.

"Well, if I remember correctly you promised to bend me over the bonnet of your Lamborghini when we were finally alone together again..." said Skye, as she winked back at him just as devilishly. "...maybe we can find somewhere that's dark and abandoned to park it so we can have ourselves a little fun over that bonnet. What do you say, sweetie?"

"I like the way you think!" grinned Grant, as he brought her lips crashing back down onto his own, where they then continued to make out with each other with neither of them caring in the slightest who witnessed them doing so.

At least until Leo returned from the bathroom that was and all but begged them to stop before he was forced to draw his I.C.E.R. on them and incapacitate them for a few hours.


	11. Our Love Is Like A Battlefield

**WARNING: This chapter contains ****SEXUAL CONTENT.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe. **

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**Chapter 11: Our Love Is Like A Battlefield**

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"Do you think Fitz will be okay while we're gone?" asked Skye, glancing over at Grant sitting beside her.

"I'm sure he'll be fine back in the motel room by himself for an hour" answered Grant, as he pulled the Lamborghini into a nearby lay by that was next to a cornfield on the left and a field on the right. "I'm sure he'll think of something to do while we're gone. I think he was happy we finally stopped making out in front of him."

"As much as I love Fitz it sucks having to share a motel room with him" sighed Skye.

"It's pretty late at night. We were lucky to get the final room at the motel and even luckier it was one with two single beds" said Grant, as he turned off the ignition and twisted around in his seat to face Skye.

"You do realise that when we get back we'll have to cuddle up really close to each other throughout the night in order to actually fit in the same bed together, right?" said Skye, as she twisted around to face him and leaned towards him with a smile on her face.

"I do realise that, yes" said Grant, grinning. "But I happen to really love cuddling you so it's not going to bother me at all."

"I'm sure Fitz will find you cuddling and spooning me quite amusing though" laughed Skye. "We're already killing him with the constant PDA."

"He'll get used to it eventually" said Grant, shrugging. "Besides, he won't be a third wheel forever once we meet up with Kara and my friends."

"Mm, that's true" said Skye, as she closed the remaining distance between them and sealed her lips over his in a soft kiss.

Grant wasted no time in deepening their kiss, as he slipped his tongue inside of Skye's mouth until he'd sought out her own and until they were battling each other for dominance. The moment Skye manoeuvred herself onto his lap and straddled him tightly with her hips was the moment the world around them ceased to exist until all that existed was him and Skye, because that was just the kind of effect that she had on him.

Skye failed to suppress the moan that built up in the back of her throat when she felt Grant's jeans tighten and constrict underneath her, allowing her to know that he was now just as turned on as she was over what was to soon follow between them.

"You drive me crazy..." moaned Grant deeply against her mouth when she started rubbing herself against him, causing friction and his jeans to tighten and constrict even more as his increasing erection all but begged to be set free.

"Oh, I know I do" purred Skye, as she bit down on his bottom lip a little roughly. "You know you love it though."

"Only because it's you" grinned Grant, as he leaned forward and kissed her again. "You're all I've ever wanted."

"I'm yours now" smiled Skye, as she failed to resist the urge to tenderly rub her nose against his. "Nothing will ever change that."

"And I'm yours now too" said Grant, smiling back at her and chuckling softly when she rubbed her nose against his own tenderly. "It's us against the world from here on out."

"Let's just hope the world continues to be kind to us because we definitely deserve it after everything we've been through together" said Skye, sighing deeply. "But for now let's just forget about everything and focus on having a little fun together."

"Where would you like to start?" asked Grant, as he roamed his hands up either side of her legs.

"We came here to make love on the bonnet, so..." said Skye, trailing off, as she slid off of his lap back in to the passenger seat, quickly opened the door and hopped out of the car. "...let's start with the bonnet."

"You got it, babe" said Grant, smirking and following her out of the car. "Have you ever done anything like this before?"

"Made love over the bonnet of a car you mean?" asked Skye, as she hoisted herself up onto the bonnet and beckoned for him to come closer with her finger.

"Yeah" said Grant, as he settled himself between her legs, placing his hands on either side of her hips and facing her with a small smile.

"No, I haven't" said Skye, shaking her head, as she lifted her arms up and looped them around his neck. "But I have had sex in the backseat of a car before back when I was a teenager and boy do I regret that now."

"How come?" asked Grant curiously.

"Because I was a dumb teenager and it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life" said Skye, shrugging at the memory. "Plus, the guy was a total loser and it was all over way too quickly."

"I see" chuckled Grant, as he started leaning in closer to her. "I promise to do my best in making sure that this particular experience will be more than worth it."

"It's always worth it with you" smiled Skye, kissing him back more than happily when his lips claimed hers.

Without breaking their kiss Grant shuffled himself out of his black leather jacket until it had hit the floor at his feet, soon moving to do the same with Skye's own black leather jacket until it was spread out behind her on the bonnet of his car.

"We're okay to be doing this here, right?" asked Skye, as she broke their kiss to glance around them, seeing nothing but the darkened field to the right and the cornfield to the left of her. "There's no possibility we're being watched or creeped on by some pervy farmer is there?"

"We're in the middle of nowhere and there's no one around us for miles, Skye, so relax" chuckled Grant. "I also highly doubt there's a pervy farmer lurking in the field."

"There could be a pervy murderer lurking in the cornfield though" muttered Skye under her breath. "You've seen a lot of horror movies, right? Creepy murderers lurk in cornfields along with demonic, possessed scarecrows waiting to strike on young lovers about to have sex and then brutally murder them before they ever get the chance to finish."

Grant couldn't help himself and snorted. "I think it's safe to say that you've watched way too many horror movies and never should again. Just relax, alright? We're not going to be brutally murdered. Besides, you've got the advantage with your powers on anyone that dared to even try and murder us, demonic or otherwise."

"I guess that's true" said Skye, frowning a little. "But it doesn't mean I want to risk using my powers and cause a disaster or anything trying to fend off pervy farmers and demonic scarecrows out to murder us simply for daring to have sex over the bonnet of your car."

"Skye, just stop talking..." said Grant, chuckling and shaking his head at her, as he leaned forward to kiss her, hoping it would distract her from her crazy horror movie related thoughts.

As soon as Grant kissed her Skye more than happily let all thoughts leave her brain and allowed herself to surrender to Grant and his passionate kiss.

Pulling back from her and breaking their kiss Grant couldn't help but allow his eyes to roam appreciatively down her body when she ever so slowly and seductively leaned back against the bonnet, her mouth curving up into a small, teasing smirk. Grant merely flashed her a smirk of his own, as he continued to admire her body in the short, loose fitting black dress that she was wearing which dipped against her breasts and revealed just enough to drive him wild with desire. One small tug and he knew that the dress would easily peel away to reveal her beautiful, naked body to him.

Skye cocked her head to the side and arched her eyebrows at Grant as he remained silent and simply looked her up and down with nothing but desire in his eyes. "Are you planning on doing nothing but staring at me all night?"

Grant just grinned at her a little mischievously as his gaze shifted back to her cleavage making him suck in a hot breath due to his only thought now being how he could run the pads of his thumbs across her taut nipples.

Sighing a little impatiently Skye sat up abruptly and reached out her hands towards him, sliding her fingers into his thick hair and tugging him towards her until their lips connected once more. Her mouth moved with his hungrily, a small whimper soon escaping from her throat when Grant slid his hand around the back of her neck and tipped her head back so he could seek out her tongue to tease it with his own.

Pulling back from her once more Grant simply chuckled at Skye's frustrated moan at him doing so, knowing she now knew he kept breaking their kiss deliberately in order to tease her. Remaining silent he watched her as he slid his index finger down the valley between her breasts and hooked the neckline of her dress.

And then before Skye could even anticipate it Grant had hauled her forward and captured her lips in a searing kiss that practically took her breath away. Her body instantly turned to jelly as she melted into his embrace, her arms rising up to wrap around his neck and her legs lifting up to lock tightly around his waist and hold him firmly in place. With a moan she tilted her head and parted his lips with hers, seeking out his tongue with her own, which Grant obliged her with strong, hungry flicks of his tongue against her own.

Grant tightened his arms around her, crushing her against his torso and aligning their hips. Need soaked his senses as she reached out and cupped the back of his neck just as his hand snaked under her dress to caress the back of her thigh. As their kiss deepened and intensified Grant's hand on Skye's thigh inched higher, trailing hot warmth along with it.

Placing her palms against his chest Skye pushed Grant away from her, breaking their kiss in the process so she could sit up and slowly slip the straps to her dress down her shoulders, her eyes remaining locked with his the whole time.

Grant watched as Skye's fingers danced across her shoulders, slowly slipping the straps from her dress down them until her dress had waterfalled off of her body, catching at the tips of her breasts for one breathless second before she shimmied the rest of the way out of it and until it was nothing more than a heap on the floor below them, leaving her completely naked to his hungry gaze. "I knew you were completely commando under that dress ever since you changed into it back at the motel."

"I chose not to wear any underwear on purpose" smiled Skye naughtily. "I knew the look on your face would be worth it."

"I do love how your mind works" smiled Grant, chuckling softly, as he placed his hands on her now bare thighs and ever so slowly slid them up and down until her silky smooth skin was burning up and she was arching her back, moaning and whimpering his name.

"_Grant!" _whimpered Skye, biting down on her bottom lip harshly and writhing under his teasing, torturous hands. "I think it's high time you got naked now too, don't you?"

Grant just chuckled as he grinned down at the utterly beautiful, completely nude sight of Skye before him. Fire raged through him, ravaging everything in it's path to his centre, numbing his senses and nearly bringing him to his knees. But then whenever he looked at Skye she never failed to look like a Goddess to him, so kneeling before her would no doubt be quite fitting.

"Don't you want me, Grant?" asked Skye, snapping him from his thoughts, as her voice dropped into a seductive whisper that went straight to his hardened cock.

"I always want you, Skye" replied Grant huskily. "And I always will."

"Then show me how much you want me" said Skye, as she ghosted her tongue across her bottom lip seductively. "Take off your clothes."

Grant was currently so hard for Skye that he felt like he could barely breathe or walk, let alone find the strength to step back and rid himself of his clothes.

Sighing to herself when Grant still made no attempt to remove his clothes Skye curved her lips up into a naughty smile as she smoothed her palms downward between the curve of her breasts until they hit her thighs, continuing to go ever lower. "If you're not going to touch me then I guess I'll just have to do it myself." Ever so provocatively she teased one of her nipples with her index finger while her other hand closed in on her aching and wet core, her eyes fluttering closed as she slipped one of her fingers deep inside of herself.

Grant immediately growled low in his throat at the sight of Skye attempting to pleasure herself right in front of him. Enough was enough. No more playing around, no more games, no more prolonging the inevitable. All he wanted in that moment was Skye and he was damn well going to have her too.

And then in one swift movement he'd clamped his hands down on her thighs as tightly as he could and pulled her down towards him, wrapping her slender legs tightly around his waist and swallowing her startled gasp the moment his mouth captured her own in a passionate kiss.

Skye eagerly slid her tongue against Grant's, inviting him in deeper, an invite which he took and delved in more than willingly to explore her mouth leisurely.

The taste of Skye danced through Grant's veins and instead of weakening him she only gave him strength. And it was enough strength to give her what she'd been begging him for, and more than enough to make love to her against the bonnet of his Lamborghini all night long if that's what she desired from him.

Pulling away from her and breaking their kiss he stepped back a little and pulled off his all black t-shirt in seconds, tossing it to the ground alongside her discarded dress and leaving nothing but the sight of his bare chest for her to eye up appreciatively. It took him even less to rid himself of his matching black jeans and briefs after that until he was standing completely naked in front of her, his pulsing cock now harder than ever for her which he knew Skye also hadn't failed to notice if the way she was now wetting her lips at the sight of it was anything for him to go by.

Reaching out for him Skye slipped her fingers through Grant's hair and pulled him back down towards her, as they then both picked up their kiss where they'd left off. Her lips fused to his and she bucked against him, eager for more than simply kissing.

Pushing her back against the bonnet Grant then proceeded to explore her torso with tiny open-mouthed kisses until he reached her wet core, entering her with the tip of his tongue and licking at her wetness.

"_Unf!" _was all Skye managed to get out, as she arched her back and urged him to lick even deeper.

"You taste like heaven" murmured Grant, as he took her nub in his mouth, nibbling at it gently, then a little harder, swirling his tongue against it until Skye whimpered and writhed beneath him.

"Grant, _dammit, _I'm about to come..." said Skye, practically mewling like a cat in heat.

Grant's cock pulsed upon hearing that so much that he tongued her until she arched up and clenched all around him, her walls fluttering around his tongue until she'd shattered into a beautiful climax, the ground below them trembling slightly and an ever so faint _CRACK! _being distinctively heard not long after. But whatever that particular _CRACK! _was then Grant didn't particularly care in that moment and neither did Skye since she'd yet to come down from the high of her orgasm.

Rising up Grant tilted Skye's chin up so he could look at her and soak up the sated, satisfied gleam in her eyes as he gave her another minute or two to recover. When her breathing finally slowed down he guided her hands upward and with one hand pinned them above her head. Parting her thighs with a nudge from his legs he then positioned the head of his hard cock at her entrance with his free hand and slowly pushed into her.

Skye immediately enveloped Grant like a vice, her walls clamping down on his hard cock and her eyes fluttering closed.

Lifting up her legs and securing them around his waist Grant pulled back before thrusting forward, penetrating her as deeply as he could get and soon settled into a steady rhythm. Desire quickly built between them, heavy and thick, as they matched each other's thrusts. "Come again for me, Skye..." he groaned out hoarsely against her lips, their foreheads lightly touching and noses bopping together with every thrust.

Skye couldn't have stopped herself from answering his plea as quickly as she did even if she'd wanted to, as she answered him with a loud cry, convulsing around him and in return triggering his own release and loud cry of her name just as she cried out his.

Clinging to each other as tightly as they could they rode out their earth shattering orgasm together, as the Lamborghini shook beneath them and another distinct _CRACK! _could be heard not long after, which was soon followed by another that was slightly louder that time around.

"What the hell is that?" asked Skye, panting slightly, as she tried her best to catch her breath and come down from her second orgasm of the night.

"Huh?" was all Grant managed to breathe out against her shoulder, as he too tried his best to catch his breath.

"Don't you hear that cracking noise?" asked Skye, as she gently pushed him up into a standing position and away from her so she could hoist herself up a little, using her elbows to prop herself up with. "I heard cracking. I get the feeling I'm probably responsible for it too. Have my powers cracked the Lamborghini's paintwork or something?"

"Well, it's pretty dark out here so if you have then I can't really tell yet" said Grant, shrugging, as he gently slipped himself out of her. "Don't worry if you have though. It'll be easily fixable and completely worth it for our pretty damn good lovemaking over the bonnet, if I don't say so myself."

"You're such a cocky little shit after sex!" laughed Skye, as she hopped off the bonnet with Grant's help.

"Don't act like you don't love it" chuckled Grant, as he dipped his head to grace her lips with a soft, tender kiss.

"Let's just get dressed before we're murdered or attacked by demonic scarecrows, okay?" said Skye, rolling her eyes at him, as she then bent down to scoop up her discarded dress along with Grant's own clothes to pass to him.

Grant merely shook his head at her in slight amusement since he barely got the chance to do much else due to Skye instantly recoiling back in horror after scooping up their discarded clothes and pushing him backwards away from his car. _"What the hell, Skye?!"_

_"I cracked the ground below the Lamborghini!"_ exclaimed Skye in horror. "That's what all the cracks were that I heard! I was cracking the ground all around us while we were having sex!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Grant, as he stepped closer towards his car and looked to see where Skye was pointing at. And then sure enough he immediately saw what she meant, as there was no denying that the ground below the Lamborghini was now completely cracked all around, yet somehow managing to remain in tact and not crumble.

"I could've killed us..." said Skye ever so quietly, tears forming behind her eyes and threatening to slip down her cheeks. "...I could've killed us, Grant."

Grant swallowed thickly before turning back to face her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile across his face. "No, Skye. I don't believe that for a single second."

"I'm not dumb enough to believe that so don't even think I am" said Skye, as she threw his clothes at him and then slipped herself back into her dress and leather jacket. "I could've killed us and we both know it."

"You can't be too harsh on yourself about something like this, Skye" said Grant, sighing, as he quickly got dressed. "You can't control your powers properly yet so therefore whatever you do you shouldn't be too harsh on yourself over because it's not your fault when you have little accidents like this."

_"Little accidents?!_ That's what you call nearly killing us when we're having sex of all things?!" exclaimed Skye incredulously. "I guess you'd also call cracking the ground below Hunter when I was angry at Simmons was also a little accident too, huh?! Oh, and then of course practically obliterating Bobbi's heart not long after was a little accident as well!"

"That's not what I meant, Skye!" yelled Grant, as he strode towards her. "You need to stop blaming yourself for what happened to them. It was out of your control. There was nothing anything that you or anyone else could've done to prevent what happened to them from happening."

"I murdered my friends!" yelled Skye, her breath hitching in the back of her throat. "And I nearly murdered us tonight too!"

_"Stop it, Skye!" _snapped Grant, as he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and gave her a small shake. "You are not a murderer, okay?! Murderers intentionally set out to kill people, but what you did wasn't your fault because you didn't know it was going to happen. So stop calling yourself a murderer, alright? You need to calm down because you're making this into a bigger deal than what it actually needs to be."

"_Are you serious right now?!" _yelled Skye, wide eyed, as she shoved Grant away from her. "I can't believe you're trying to justify all of this! Putting aside what I did to Hunter and Bobbi it doesn't change the fact that tonight without even realising because I was too caught up in my own orgasms that I cracked the ground below where we were having sex and no doubt any second longer fucking each other over that bonnet I could've finished cracking the ground completely and sent us both straight to our deaths!"

"If you're not careful and don't cease all of the yelling that you're doing then you're gonna plunge us to our deaths anyway..." mumbled Grant under his breath just as the ground below them both trembled due to Skye's rising anger.

"Wow, gee, thanks for being such a supportive boyfriend!" scoffed Skye, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I'm sorry" said Grant, as he instantly regretted how he'd phrased what he'd said. "I didn't mean it how it came out."

"Whatever, Ward" sighed Skye, as she ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"C'mere" said Grant, as he stepped towards her to pull her into his arms for a comforting hug.

_"No! _Get away from me! Just, _ugh! _Fuck you, Ward!" snapped Skye, as she moved away from him.

"I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you just did..." smirked Grant, his tone of voice quippy and playful because why the hell not? He didn't mean to come off sounding like an asshole, which he knew he no doubt did in that moment, but he'd said what he had to lighten the mood because boy did the mood really need lightened right now.

"If I wasn't so terrified right now I would slap you for what you just said to me" said Skye, as she finally allowed her tears that had slowly been building to slip down her cheeks in waves.

"I'm sorry, Skye. I was just trying to lighten the mood and be funny. I realise what I said was distasteful" said Grant, as he tentatively stepped towards her. "I was just trying to get us both back to the blissful high that we were on after making love. I don't like fighting with you and especially after we'd been happy only a few short seconds ago."

"I know and I'm sorry too" said Skye quietly. "But I was just reminded of what I'm truly capable of and it honestly terrifies me."

"There's nothing to be terrified over" said Grant, as he reached out towards her when he got close enough and successfully managed to pull her into his arms without her pushing him away this time. "You're okay. I'm okay. We're okay."

"Next time we might not be so lucky" said Skye, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowed her tear stained face into his chest.

"Shh, baby, shh" said Grant soothingly, as he kissed the top of her head and gently stroked her hair. "Don't think like that."

"I don't want my powers anymore, Grant" said Skye against his chest, her voice slightly muffled but still audible. "I don't want to learn to control them. I just want rid of them. I want to be normal again."

"You are normal, Skye" soothed Grant. "Having powers doesn't make you any less normal. It just makes you a force to be reckoned with."

"You kinda suck at trying to be soothing" said Skye, laughing a little. "Anyway, I think it's probably a good idea if we don't have sex again for a while."

"That's not the solution, Skye" sighed Grant, as he hooked his finger under her chin and tilted her tear stained face up to face him.

"I know it isn't. I just think it's for the best for the time being, okay? We'll re-think it when we get to your friend's mansion or whatever he lives in, yeah?" said Skye, as she locked her eyes with his. "I just don't trust myself to not hurt us one day."

"I don't believe you could ever hurt us so stop thinking that you can" said Grant, as he dipped his head and kissed her softly. "But if you're sure that's what you want for the time being then I respect your decision."

"You'd really be okay with not having sex again for a little while?" asked Skye, furrowing her brows.

"I've already told you that I want more from you than just simply sex" said Grant, smiling. "I love you, Skye, and I'm content with just simply being with you."

"I love you too" smiled Skye, kissing him tenderly. "I'm really sorry I freaked out. We were happy one moment and then fighting the next. I totally suck for ruining that."

"You're forgiven. It's okay, really, so don't worry so much" smiled Grant. "Besides, it's just the way we are and how our relationship is at the end of the day."

"What do you mean?" asked Skye, frowning.

"Our love is like a battlefield" smirked Grant, as he dipped his head to kiss her again.

"Quit trying to be funny" sighed Skye, rolling her eyes at him. "Let's just get back to the motel. I'm getting pretty tired now."

"You got it, babe" said Grant, kissing the tip of her nose, as he then turned to face his Lamborghini with a small frown etched across his face. "Now all I've gotta do is figure out how I'm gonna drive my car away from those cracks in the ground and without cracking them even more."

* * *

Luckily for Grant the cracks below the Lamborghini didn't crack anymore when he jumped back into the driver's seat and drove it successfully away from the cracked ground, though it had made Skye slightly on edge as she'd watched from the side fearing that the ground was going to finish cracking at any moment and take her boyfriend along with it, but thankfully that hadn't happened.

It didn't take them long after that to arrive back at the motel and slip quietly into their room they were sharing with Leo, to which they found to be fast asleep in his bed snoring lightly and wearing light blue pyjamas with little Capuchin monkey's on them while being completely oblivious to their presence.

"Are you okay?" asked Grant, his voice laced with concern, as Skye slipped into the tiny single bed they were sharing and instantly cuddled up to his chest until she was completely wrapped around him.

"Yeah, I'm fine" replied Skye, as she tucked her head under his chin and nuzzled her face against his chest. "I just need you to hold me."

"I'm not gonna let you go" said Grant, as he wrapped his arms protectively around her. "I promise."

"I love you" said Skye sleepily, as her eyelids slowly fluttered closed and she started to slowly succumb to sleep.

"I love you too" said Grant, as he kissed the top of her head lovingly, allowing his own eyes to slowly flutter closed and succumbed to sleep himself when he felt Skye finally relax in his arms.


	12. We're The Hunted Ones Now

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 12: We're The Hunted Ones Now  
**

* * *

Slowly waking up the next morning Skye yawned against Grant's firm chest, sighed contently and snuggled back into his arms with no intention of leaving them just yet.

"Morning, rookie" said Grant, as he kissed the tip of her nose tenderly. "Don't you dare think about going back to sleep."

Skye simply remained silent and ignored him.

"I second what Ward said" commented Leo from where he lay on his bed, his eyes glued to the science fiction show he was watching on the TV that was perched atop the chest of drawers in the middle of the room and facing both beds. "We've been waiting forever for you to wake up so we can go and get breakfast. I wanted to wake you sooner but Ward insisted we let you sleep."

"I told you she needed the extra few hours because she had a pretty rough night last night" said Grant, his fingertips now lightly dancing down Skye's back in his best attempt to keep her awake.

"But I don't get how though since you won't tell me" said Leo, furrowing his brows and glancing over at Grant. "I'm not an idiot, Ward. I know you both sneaked off somewhere to have sex last night so I wasn't subjected to it, which I'm grateful for, but what I don't get is how that somehow resulted in Skye having a rough night."

Grant just sighed deeply and dipped his head down towards Skye, lightly nuzzling his nose against her right cheek. "C'mon, rookie, wake up."

"I hate to ask, but..." said Leo, trailing off to grimace in advance over what Grant's answer might be. "...were you, uh, rough with her during sex or something?"

"Skye, _please_ wake up..." groaned Grant, as he turned his head away from her so he could burrow his face into his pillow and avoid answering Leo's question.

"He wasn't rough with me during sex" grumbled Skye, as she stretched lazily, rolled onto her back and then twisted her head to the right of her so she could face Leo. "But if you really wanna know what happened then I ended up cracking the ground all around us and nearly killed us both."

"You didn't nearly kill us at all, Skye" sighed Grant. "It wasn't as bad as you think it was."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that..." mumbled Skye, as she sat up and ran a shaky hand through her hair at the memory now returning to her.

"I'm sure Ward is right, Skye, and that it wasn't as bad as you think" said Leo, as he slid off his bed to his feet and walked over towards his duffel bag. "But if you're worried about it happening again then I actually think I can help you with that."

"What do you mean?" asked Skye curiously.

"I completely forgot that I had these with me until just now. I managed to grab them for you before I left Providence, since that's where we ended up going back to after the collapse of The Playground" said Leo, re-zipping his duffel bag and spinning around to face Skye with a smile across his face. "I wasn't sure if you'd even want them anymore but I grabbed them for you anyway. You don't have to wear them if you don't want to though."

_"My gloves!"_ exclaimed Skye upon seeing them in Leo's hands. Scrabbling off the bed she instantly made a dive for them and hugged Leo while doing so. "Thank you so much, Fitz! These are just what I need right now!"

"What are those things?" asked Grant, as he walked over to Skye and reached out to stop her from slipping her arms into the black gloves she was holding. "What are you putting on?"

"They're these special cast like gloves that Simmons designed for me after we found out I was hurting myself with my powers by withdrawing my powers inwards, since it was my way of stopping myself so I didn't hurt anyone around me" answered Skye. "I gained multiple bruises and some bone fractures in my arms and wrists from doing that so Simmons created these gloves for me so I wouldn't hurt myself again."

Grant just scoffed at hearing that. "I'll bet it actually had more to do with stopping you from using your powers because everyone was afraid of them."

"It doesn't matter what Simmons' reason or her motivation was for making me these gloves" said Skye, frowning at him. "I agreed to wear them because I was afraid of using my powers too. I still am. You know that."

"I know and I understand" said Grant, furrowing his brows a little. "But I don't think wearing those gloves is the solution to everything, Skye. I think actually learning how to control your powers is."

"That's not going to happen any time soon though, is it?" said Skye, sighing. "Not until we get to your friend's place and see how he intends to help me exactly. So until then I'll just wear my gloves."

"You do know exactly what they do to you once you've put them on, right?" asked Grant worriedly.

"They're composed of compressed microfibre which reduces the intensity of her vibrations from the earthquakes and tremors" said Leo, glancing between them. "They're designed to help siphon some of the seismic energy that comes with the earthquakes Skye can create, as well as minimizing the damage done to herself when she channels her vibrations inwards. At least that's what I remember from Jemma telling us when she first gave them to Skye."

"Exactly what Fitz said, only I would've explained all of that with slightly less techno-babble" said Skye, shrugging and slipping her left hand into one of her gloves.

"Alright, I guess they could help you then, for now at least..." said Grant, frowning at Skye now slipping her right hand into the other glove. "...but not in the long run."

"I don't think they're designed for the long run" said Leo. "I think Jemma just designed them as a temporary precaution until Skye got a better control over her powers."

Grant just nodded at Leo before turning back to face Skye, who he didn't fail to notice was now looking like she was going to throw up. "Skye? Are you okay? What's wrong, Skye?"

"Nothing, I'm fine..." said Skye, swallowing thickly, as she flopped down onto one of the bed's before she lost her balance. "...I just forgot that when I first put them on they make me a little dizzy and nauseous."

"Why do they make her dizzy and nauseous?" Grant asked Leo, his voice laced with concern, as he sat down beside Skye and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"I'm not sure on that one. You'd have to ask Jemma and since that's not entirely possible then..." said Leo, trailing off. "...but if I had to guess then I imagine it's because the compressed microfibre is already starting to decrease the intensity of the vibrations within her body and keep them at bay."

"That is what it feels like" said Skye, as she squeezed her hands into tight little balls, instantly feeling her palms tingle a little upon her doing so. "Once the sickness passes it's a good feeling having what I feel inside of me come to a standstill, even if it is just a temporary one."

"I don't think you should wear them" said Grant, as he reached out towards one of her hands and made the move to unfasten one of the gloves. "I don't trust anything that comes from S.H.I.E.L.D. and especially when it's Simmons."

"No, Grant! _Stop it!"_ snapped Skye, smacking his hand away. "They help me, okay? I'm fine, really, I am."

"You say that now" said Grant, frowning. "But who knows what they'll do to you in the long run."

"If they do anything other than help me and keep the vibrations at bay then I'll stop wearing them" said Skye, sighing frustratedly. "I promise I will. But if it makes you any less wary then you and Fitz can both keep an eye on me for any life threatening changes, alright?"

"Don't worry because I will be" said Grant, furrowing his brows at her gloved hands. "And the moment I see anything that I don't particularly like about those gloves then they're coming off regardless of what you say."

"I'm with Ward on this one, Skye" said Leo in agreement. "I brought them with me because I thought they might help you if you wanted to wear them. But who knows what Jemma really did to them. There's most likely some side effects that she didn't explain to you."

"And like I said we'll keep looking out for any changes and I'll stop wearing them if I have to" said Skye, glancing between them. "But right now I need you both to just let me wear them. Okay?"

"Okay" said Leo, nodding.

"Fine" sighed Grant defeatedly. "But only because I know it's pointless arguing with you."

"You really do learn quickly, babe" smiled Skye, as she leaned over and pecked him softly on his lips.

"So who wants breakfast?!" said Leo, clapping his hands loudly in order to get their attention. "Because I'm hungry and I'd much rather go eat than watch the two of you make out again!"

* * *

Once dressed the three of them packed up their things and jumped into Grant's Lamborghini to head on over to a nearby diner where they could have some breakfast before continuing on with their road trip.

After sitting down together in a booth at the back a waitress soon arrived to take their order of waffles smeared in chocolate for Skye and Leo and blueberry pancakes with a side ordering of pecan syrup for Grant.

"Since when do you have such a sweet tooth?" asked Skye, as she glanced at her boyfriend sitting beside her.

"I've always liked blueberry pancakes" said Grant, shrugging his shoulders. "What's so shocking about that?"

"I've just never seen you eat anything like that before" said Skye, also shrugging her shoulders. "You're like a whole different guy to the one I knew when first meeting you because that guy would never have dreamed of ordering himself something as unhealthy as blueberry pancakes with pecan syrup."

"I'm not a whole different guy" said Grant, chuckling. "I'm just being me. I guess you could call the guy you're seeing now the real Grant Ward."

"I happen to love this Grant Ward" smiled Skye, as she leaned over to kiss him softly. "You're no longer a robot and you're actually more fun."

"That was just part of my specialist side and I guess you could say my undercover persona" said Grant, shrugging. "I don't need to act like that anymore. I can finally be who I really am."

"Even I have to admit to quite liking this side of you" said Leo, flashing him a small smile. "You're a lot more likeable and just like Skye said you're a lot more fun."

"Thanks, Fitz, I think..." laughed Grant. "...anyway, mostly I'm just relaxed around you and Skye. I don't need to have a guard up around my feelings anymore."

"We're free to be whoever we wanna be from now on" said Skye, smiling between them. "Our lives are finally our own again."

"Until S.H.I.E.L.D. catches up with us" said Leo, frowning at the thought, since he knew it was only a matter of time. "I mean isn't it just inevitable until they do again?"

"Not for as long as we keep on laying low and using fake names like we have been to book into motels" said Grant confidently. "And then once we get to my friend's mansion he'll protect us. Coulson will never find us there and if he ever does then I assure you there's a lot more people than just my friend that will protect us in the city we're going to. Besides, S.H.I.E.L.D. have no jurisdiction there."

"Technically S.H.I.E.L.D. have no jurisdiction anywhere since they're still labelled a terrorist organization" smirked Skye.

"Exactly" said Grant, smiling at her. "Coulson doesn't have the right to continue hunting us, let alone bring us in."

"Trying telling Coulson that" said Leo, sighing heavily. "He's changed a lot since you escaped and Skye ran. You guys have no idea what he's like now. Why do you think I left the first chance I got?"

"That's something you still need to actually tell us, Fitz" said Skye, furrowing her brows at him. "How about you tell us why we wait on our breakfast?"

"We're the hunted ones now, Fitz, so we have to stick together no matter what" said Grant, as he leaned back in his seat and draped his right arm around Skye's shoulders. "Me, you, Skye and Kara when we see her again, we're our own little team now, so we have to protect each other."

"I never thought I'd actually hear myself admit this but I'd much rather be on a team with you, Ward, then I ever would with Coulson again" said Leo, smiling faintly. "He's no longer the Coulson we remember. Ever since Skye ran he became a lot more guarded and even hostile at times."

"What do you mean by he became hostile?" asked Skye, quirking her brows curiously.

"He banned everyone on the team from ever mentioning your names again" said Leo, frowning at the memories. "Anyone whoever dared would be thrown into Vault D for a few hours as punishment."

"_Seriously?!" _exclaimed Skye, wide eyed. "I'm surprised May ever let him do that to her."

"He only ever did with May once" said Leo, snorting at the memory. "He fired a round from an I.C.E.R_._ at her when she tried to fight him on it and then he had Mack help him carry her down to Vault D."

"I would've loved to have seen the look on May's face when she woke up in Vault D after that" laughed Grant. "Oh, man, that would've been priceless."

"Trust me when I say that she wasn't happy at all afterwards" said Leo, laughing also. "She threatened to kill Coulson if he did it again and then she gave him the silent treatment for a week. She literally wouldn't talk to him for anything."

"Can't say I feel sorry for either of them" said Grant dryly. "May broke my larynx and Coulson tried to sell me back to my childhood abuser. They can both rot in Hell for all I care."

"I still can't believe that Coulson resorted to locking you all in Vault D if you mentioned our names" said Skye, as she chose not to comment on what Grant had said about Coulson and May. It's not that she didn't agree with the idea of them both rotting in Hell for what they'd done to him, and for what they'd also done to her too, and even Leo, because she did agree with it, but, she also kinda didn't as well. One thing she did know was that when it came to her thoughts on Coulson and May these days was that they were all just one jumbled and complicated mess.

"I got locked down there about 6 times, mainly for mentioning your name" said Leo, looking to Skye. "Jemma got locked down there the most though. She mentioned your name a total of 9 times and Ward's only 3, so she was locked down in Vault D a total of 12 times before she realised it was just easier to never mention your names again, especially whenever Coulson was within earshot."

"Coulson really lost it after I ran, didn't he?" asked Skye, disbelief flooding through her over what she was hearing, because after all it was an odd thing to do to everyone no matter how much he now hated her and Grant. "He didn't start having crazy dates with carving symbols into walls again did he? Because that could maybe explain him acting so odd."

"Not that I know of" said Leo, shaking his head. "But who knows? He just changed so much. He'd barely even talk to any of us unless we were May. And then when he did talk to us he always seemed out of it, disinterested in any of us anymore and would snap at everyone for no reason. He became a nightmare to be around."

"You're free of him now, Fitz" said Skye, as she reached her right hand out across the table and placed it over his comfortingly. "You're safe with us."

"I ran the first chance I got and I don't regret it" said Leo, squeezing her hand. "At least I know I can trust you."

"You can always trust me, Fitz" smiled Skye. "So, um, changing the subject for a moment can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can" nodded Leo.

"Do you promise to be honest with me?" asked Skye.

"Yes, of course" replied Leo, nodding again. "What do you want to ask me?"

Taking a deep breath Skye sat back in her seat and leaned against Grant's side, flashing him a smile when he draped his arm back around her shoulders and gave them a comforting squeeze. "I just wanted to ask you about Hunter and Bobbi."

"What about them?" asked Leo, brow quirked.

"Are they really dead?" asked Skye, wetting her lips nervously. "I mean I fled The Playground pretty much right after I did what I did to them and I brought The Playground crashing down around me at the time too, to which I'm actually surprised that I didn't kill you and the others as well. Anyway, maybe you actually managed to find Hunter? And maybe Bobbi survived somehow too? I just need to hear that they're actually gone, y'know, have it confirmed once and for all? I guess you could call it closure."

"I'm sorry, Skye, I really am..." said Leo, trailing off to shake his head at her sadly. "...but we never found Hunter. You split the ground completely in half and it went pretty deep. There's no way he could've survived falling through that."

"Of course not" sighed Skye sadly, smiling at Grant when she felt him pull her closer and place a soft, comforting kiss on her forehead. "And Bobbi?"

Leo just shook his head sadly again. "Bobbi died of a heart attack. You, uh, um, uh, you sorta crushed her heart from the inside out and, uh, she died of a heart attack. I'm really sorry, Skye."

"And that's exactly why I need my gloves because it could be you or Grant next!" cried Skye, as she turned to Grant and buried her face against his chest, her body starting to lightly shake from the small sobs that were now slowly escaping her.

"It's okay, Skye, it's okay. Everything will be okay. I promise you" said Grant soothingly, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, gently stroked her hair and started peppering the top of her head with soft little kisses. "Shh, baby, shh. You had no control over what happened. It's not your fault. Shh, now, it'll all be okay."

"I'm really sorry, Skye" said Leo, as he watched Grant do his best to comfort Skye and wishing that there was some way that he could too, he just didn't know how and added to the fact that Grant seemed to have a pretty good handle on comforting her right now. _Ward is pretty good for Skye after all. Who'd have thought? _"I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's better she gets all of this out now before breaking down later and possibly a lot worse" said Grant, glancing at Leo. "She'll be fine. We'll make sure of that."

"We definitely will" agreed Leo, smiling a little faintly, as he slowly rose to his feet. "I'm, um, I'm gonna go to the bathroom before our breakfast arrives. I'll be back in a minute."

"Take your time" nodded Grant, as he turned back to Skye and lightly started peppering her head with soft little kisses again. "Skye's in good hands with me until then."

* * *

Leo spent a little longer than a minute in the bathroom.

After splashing his face with water he found himself leaning against the sink and simply stared at his reflection staring back at him, while his thoughts slowly consumed him.

_I didn't mean to make Skye cry. But what was I supposed to say when she asked me about Hunter and Bobbi? Lie to her? Tell her Bobbi was still alive when she wasn't? No, I couldn't do that. But what she did to them wasn't her fault and she needs to start believing that. It wasn't her intention to kill them. They were nothing but accidents! But of course I'm the only one that sees that next to Ward, because dumb stupid Coulson surely never did, which is weird considering how much he used to care for Skye like a daughter. But then when I think about it what happened to first Tripp and then Hunter and Bobbi with Skye being so closely linked to all three of their deaths, despite them all being nothing but accidents and not her fault, then I guess in a way I see where he was coming from? I don't even know anymore. I just know I didn't mean to make Skye cry. Oh, bloody hell!_

Leo was soon pulled from his thoughts when his back trouser pocket suddenly started vibrating, startling him a little. Reaching his right hand around he soon pulled out his cell phone and glanced down at the screen, quickly frowning when he saw the name _Jemma _flash across the screen. Groaning loudly he contemplated hitting _Ignore _and then tossing his cell phone down the toilet despite the fact that he knew this call would be coming sooner rather than later. Sighing heavily and checking that he was indeed still alone in the bathroom he hit _Answer Call _and then placed his cell phone to his ear. "Hey, Jemma."

"_Leo! Thank god you're okay! You are okay, right?"_

"I'm fine" replied Leo. "What do you want, Jemma?"

"_What do you mean what do I want? I'm calling to check on you like we agreed upon."_

"I know that" sighed Leo, as he turned to walk towards the bathroom door. "I meant what else do you want? I don't have a lot of time so make it quick."

"_Oh, okay. Well, Coulson wanted to know if you've found Skye and Ward yet? You haven't contacted us to let us know or anything since you left."_

"Yes, I've found them..." said Leo, as he opened the bathroom door just a crack so he could peek out and back to where he'd left Skye and Grant, soon smiling to himself when he saw them now laughing and joking with each other and sneaking in a few little kisses here and there. "...but you can tell Coulson that he's not getting our location."

"_What do you mean?"_

"Put me on speaker" said Leo, as he stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. "I know everyone else is there listening in."

"_You're already on speaker, Fitz. Care to tell me what you meant when you told Simmons that you aren't going to let me know where you, Skye and Ward are?"_

"I think it's pretty simple what I meant by that, Sir" said Leo, as he kept his voice as calm and as steady as he could. "I'm not giving them up to you and that's final."

"_But this was the plan all along, Fitz. Or don't you remember? The plan was for you to find Skye and Ward because you're the only one left out of us that Skye still trusts and then when you'd found them you were to tell me where they were so I could gather the rest of the team together to help you bring them in."_

"And then march them both to their execution for their crimes against the team and S.H.I.E.L.D., yeah, I remember..." said Leo, his tone of voice full of bitterness and resentment. "...but the thing is, Sir, that was _your _plan. It was never mine. I just agreed to it, or at least that's what I made you believe."

"_What are you saying exactly, Fitz?"_

"I'm saying that I've wanted out of S.H.I.E.L.D. and far away from you all ever since Skye ran. I regret more than anything not going with her. None of you are the people that I remember anymore, or once cared about, and not even Jemma, because you're all just ghosts of who you used to be which was actual decent human beings" said Leo, having absolutely no idea where his newfound courage of finally saying to Coulson exactly what he thought deep down was coming from but liking wherever it was regardless. "Telling you I'd known how to find Skye all along and then pretending to find her and Ward so I could tell you where they were was my one chance of escaping without being stopped and locked away in Vault D for trying, or worse. I never intended to tell you where they were once I actually found them."

"_Fitz, I am ordering you to-"_

_"Oh, shut up, Sir!"_ snapped Leo down the line before he could finish. "Your orders mean _nothing _to me anymore because I quit! _Do you hear me?! _I'm done with you and S.H.I.E.L.D. for good! You sent me to find Skye so I could play her and Ward and get them to trust me. But what you failed to realise at the time was that all along I've been playing you instead."

"_I'd think very carefully about what you do and say next, Fitz, because you don't want to make an enemy out of me."_

"No, Sir, you don't want to make an enemy out of _me_..." said Leo as threateningly as he could. "...so I suggest you stop looking for the three of us and just finally start moving on if you know what's good for you."

"_Leo! Don't do this! Please! They aren't worth it! Please, Leo! Don't do this!"_

"I'm so sorry, Jemma, but this is goodbye..." said Leo sadly, his voice breaking a little over hearing her voice pleading and begging with him to change his mind. "...I'll miss the you that you once used to be the most, but not who you've now become, and that applies to all of you."

"_Fitz, I am warning you that if you do this then there's no coming back-"_

"No, Sir, I'm warning _you..." _said Leo, as he once again cut him off from finishing. "...stop looking for us or you _will _regret it."

And with those final words Leo ended the call, walked over to one of the cubicles, tossed his cell phone into the toilet, flushed it and then left the bathroom to return to Skye and Grant.


	13. Living Life To The Fullest

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****_Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D_** **or any of the characters, as that would be ****_Marvel_**_**, **_**because if I owned the show and the characters then multiple universes would exist where everything I write for it would be canon within it's own universe.  
**

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**Chapter 13: Living Life To The Fullest  
**

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"These gloves are driving me crazy!" groaned Skye, as she continued scratching at her right wrist, or at least trying to since the glove in question was pretty thick and making it hard for her to successfully manage to scratch her itch. "I forgot how scratchy and uncomfortable they were to actually wear!"

"Here's a suggestion for you..." said Grant, trailing off to look at her, his eyes darkening a little. "_...take them off._"

"Oh,_ bite me!_" said Skye, rolling her eyes at him. Ever since they'd finished their breakfast and left the diner a little over an hour ago now to climb back into the Lamborghini and hit the road again Grant had been like a broken record constantly suggesting to her that she take off her gloves whenever she complained they were uncomfortable to wear and making her wrists itch. Quite frankly he was starting to get on her nerves a little bit now. _Why can't he just accept the fact that I need them to help me rein my powers in? I can deal with them being a little uncomfortable and making me itch, mostly anyway._

"That is a very immature response" sighed Grant, as he turned his attention back to the road.

"Nah, it's a fun response!" countered Skye, smirking a little. "You're just really grumpy all of a sudden."

"I'm not grumpy" said Grant, sighing again. "I'm just concerned about you."

"But why?" asked Skye, furrowing her brows at him. "I'm perfectly fine."

"You say that now" said Grant, glancing over at her and frowning at her gloves. "But I'll bet you won't be in a few more hours and those gloves will be to blame."

"You're being too paranoid" said Skye, as she once again rolled her eyes at him. "Just be quiet and keep driving."

"I'm sorry my concern over your well being and health annoys you so much" muttered Grant under his breath, as he fixed his attention back on the road before him again.

"Aw, you two are having a lovers tiff!" chuckled Leo, as he suddenly popped his head up in between them from where he sat on the backseat. "You're so adorable."

"Very funny, Fitz" said Skye, laughing at his attempt at humorous sarcasm. "I don't suppose you know how to make my wrists stop itching do you? Or how to make these gloves be any less scratchy against my skin?"

"Sorry, Skye, but I don't" replied Leo with a shake of his head. "I don't think Jemma designed them with comfort in mind."

"Yeah no shit, Sherlock!" sighed Skye in frustration. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be snarky."

"It's your gloves that are making you snarky" said Grant, glancing at her and then back to the road again. "I don't know what they're doing to you but I know it'll be nothing good since they came from S.H.I.E.L.D."

"They're helping me regardless of where they came from and you know they are" said Skye, sighing again. "It actually feels as if my powers are being held down and contained whenever I wear them. I don't feel the vibrations of anything around me as much anymore. Everything is finally quiet."

"Have you ever tried to control the vibrations before?" asked Leo curiously. "You say that you can feel the vibrations of things around you, right? I'll bet if you tried to actually tap into some of them then you'd be able to manipulate what you can feel around you and probably control everything a lot better until you didn't need the gloves anymore."

"I'm too scared to try" said Skye, frowning a little. "I already know if I concentrate enough when it comes to the small vibrations, tremors and shakes that I can do then I can rein them back in and stop them. But other than that I'm too scared to try when it comes to anything bigger and more dangerous."

"Technically you've already tried though" commented Grant. "6 weeks ago when you ran from me and Kara at that motel, remember? You managed to control your powers and concentrated hard enough until you'd split the ground right in front of us so I couldn't follow you."

"Yeah, I remember" said Skye, glancing over at him. "And I remember being absolutely terrified the whole time I was doing it too. I was so scared that you'd end up like Hunter if I made so much as one mistake. I'm so glad that I didn't screw up and kill you."

"I'm really glad you didn't too" said Grant, flashing her a small smile.

"I think I actually know what you two are talking about" said Leo, furrowing his brows in thought. "I remember about 6 weeks ago now Coulson and May left Providence to go and investigate this mini earthquake that had destroyed a motel room and cracked the ground of the parking lot outside. He knew it was you and he took May to help him apprehend you if he found you, which thankfully he didn't."

"I'll bet he was pretty disappointed when he didn't find me still there, huh?" snorted Skye. "But yeah it was me. Grant dared to tell me that he loved me which freaked me the hell out at the time so I ran."

"That's right blame me" sighed Grant, shaking his head.

"Oh, hush!" said Skye, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. "It all worked out for the better in the end because when we reunited again we were finally completely honest with each other about how we really felt and have for a long time now."

"Well, the road to true love is never smooth, right?" said Grant, winking at her. "But it's worth it in the end."

"I think I prefer it when you two argue because then at least you're both less..." said Leo, trailing off to think before continuing. _"...sickly sweet."_

"We may be sickly sweet at times but at least we're better to be around than Coulson, right?" smirked Skye, twisting her head around to face him.

"Anyone is better than Coulson these days" sighed Leo, as he flopped back against his seat in the back.

"Are you okay?" asked Skye, concern lacing her tone for her friend. "You've been a little off ever since we left the diner."

"I'm fine" replied Leo, flashing her a weak smile. "I just can't help but worry that Coulson will find us all again one day."

"He's not gonna find us, Fitz" said Grant, confidence lacing his tone. "I'll make sure that he doesn't. I'll keep us all safe."

"Sometimes that's easier said than done though..." said Leo, trailing off to sigh again.

"Nothing has happened recently to make any of us think that, not even you leaving and disappearing because there's no way he can know that you did it to team up with me and Grant" said Skye, twisting around in her seat to glance at him again. "So why are you so worried all of a sudden that Coulson is going to find us?"

_Because I pretty much dared him to try on the phone and gave him even more of an incentive to never stop looking until he's found us again… _thought Leo to himself. He knew that he should confide in Skye and Grant about his conversation with Coulson on the phone along with the real reason for finding them, but he feared they'd take it badly and ditch him in the middle of nowhere the first chance that they got instead of letting him explain everything first.

Leo really had used Coulson's plan to his own advantage in order to break free and finally leave S.H.I.E.L.D. behind and what the team had now become. He really had only pretended to agree to go along with Coulson's plan so he could get away successfully without being stopped and locked up in Vault D for preferring to side with the two traitors from the team, since Coulson was now even referring to Skye as a traitor these days and not just Grant, so even though he'd had his own hidden agenda from the start and had slyly played Coulson at his own game without him suspecting that he was he highly doubted that Skye and Grant would see it that way if he told them and probably wouldn't like learning that he'd used them as pawns in his own escape attempt.

Shaking himself from his thoughts and sighing heavily once more he just shrugged his shoulders at Skye before answering her. "I just worry that's all. Coulson was pretty crazy when I left so I dread to think what he'll be like if I ever see him again or if ever finds out that I left the team and S.H.I.E.L.D. behind to team up with the two of you, which I don't regret doing or anything because I'd rather be with you two over Coulson and the others any day."

"You should try to stop worrying before you give yourself wrinkles" laughed Skye, smiling at him. "Just try to relax the best that you can, alright? I trust Grant whenever he tells us that his friend will keep us all safe when we finally get to his place."

"Speaking of which I wanna know who your friend is exactly, Ward" asked Leo, taking the opportunity when it arose for a subject change and leaned forward in his seat to lean in between where Grant and Skye sat in the front again. "I demand answers."

"Demand denied" chuckled Grant. "All you need to know is he's pretty secretive and prefers to lay low."

"And he's totally rich because he bought Grant the Lamborghini that we're driving around in" added Skye. "Oh, and he also gave him a credit card with an unlimited amount of cash on it. He also apparently lives in a mansion but I'll believe that when I see it for myself."

"Um, okay then" said Leo, a little wide eyed. "Can you at least tell me why he's willing to help us? Or help Ward at least."

"Because he's my friend and I've known him for a few years now" answered Grant. "He always told me that if I was ever in a jam then I could rely on him. I would've turned to him a lot sooner than now if I could've but not only was I locked up for over 6 months thanks to Coulson I also didn't want to bother him and get him involved in the gigantic mess that I'd created for myself."

"Okay, that makes sense I guess" said Leo. "So wherever he currently is that's where Agent 33 is too, right?"

"You mean Kara" corrected Skye before Grant got the chance to. "Her name is Kara Palamas, not Agent 33, and she's more than simply a number."

"Kara, right, got it, sorry..." said Leo, nodding. "...I'll remember that from now on."

"Don't sweat it" said Skye, smiling softly at him. "Kara is the name she told Grant and me to call her so we do."

"We also managed to get a hold of her S.H.I.E.L.D. file for her" said Grant. "Other than her personal information I don't know how much more of it she's read through though because she just wants to forget about S.H.I.E.L.D. these days, HYDRA too, especially HYDRA."

"How is she doing?" asked Leo, curious to know. "I mean she was brainwashed by Whitehall and forced to comply to whatever he wanted her to do and work for him and HYDRA. Aren't you guys worried that she might still suffer from some of the residual effects of the brainwashing just waiting to be triggered again?"

"No, because I've done everything that I can to help her overcome what Whitehall did to her ever since she picked me up off the ground back in San Juan" said Grant, glancing between Leo and the road. "Since Whitehall died she's been free of the hold he had over her. She sometimes still feels lost without orders but I've been trying to get her to think for herself again and do the things that she wants to do. My friend has also been helping me for the last 3 weeks since I turned to him for help."

"How has he been helping her exactly?" asked Leo.

"He's been sending her to therapy to talk about what happened to her and everything that she can remember while slowly trying to overcome it all the best that she can" answered Grant. "She's been going 4 days a week and it's really been helping her. It's another reason she didn't come with me to find Skye because we didn't want to disturb her therapy sessions and halt her progress even though she wanted to come with me. She's comfortable enough around my friends these days but she can still be quite dependent on me at times."

"It's good that she's been getting therapy to help her" smiled Skye. "I'm so happy to hear that. It can't be easy for her to talk about what she remembers and to fully overcome her brainwashing but I'm glad that she's at least trying with professional help."

"Me too" said Grant, smiling back at her. "I couldn't have done it without professional help. My friend has got her going to an amazing therapist."

"What about her face?" asked Leo curiously. "Does she still have the nano mask on and look like May?"

"She did when I left to find Skye, yeah..." said Grant, his fists clenching tightly around the steering wheel. "...the nano mask is permanently glued to her face, or fried, short circuited, whatever you wanna call it. She'll never get it off thanks to what May did to her."

"So she's always going to look like the scarred version of May?" asked Skye sadly.

"Not exactly, no, because there's a way around it" said Grant. "It's complicated to explain though. I'll let Kara explain it when we next see her again."

"Okay" nodded Skye, reaching out towards him to place her left hand lightly atop his leg closest to her, squeezing it comfortingly as she did. "I understand that it should come from her."

"Well, regardless of everything I look forward to meeting her" said Leo, smiling. "Properly that is and when she's not, y'know, my enemy."

"Kara was never really our enemy" said Skye, brows furrowing. "We just believed she was because she worked for Whitehall and HYDRA, so we thought she was our enemy, because we didn't know she was brainwashed until it was too late. She wasn't a traitor who defected over to the bad side. She never had a choice because she was brainwashed into complying and we never cared enough at the time to help her or even try to save her."

"You know she doesn't blame you for not trusting her" said Grant, glancing at her with a small reassuring smile. "Kara understands why everyone didn't trust her back then and she doesn't blame anyone. All she wants now is our help to forget and overcome everything that happened to her thanks to Whitehall and the brainwashing while finally having the chance to reclaim her identity and own agency back with the help and support from the friends that she has left."

"I know and it's all I want for her too" said Skye, smiling softly at him. "Kara has my support and she knows that. I'm happy that I got to know her since I joined up with you both and I'll do anything to help her now because she's my friend."

"Good" said Grant, smiling softly back at her. "It makes me happy knowing how much you two have bonded and I know she can't wait to see you again."

Leaning towards him Skye pecked him softly on his cheek and then leaned back in her seat with a smile, before turning to glance away from him to look out of the window, her smile soon twisting into a grin when they drove past a sign saying _'You are now entering Nevada'. _"We're driving through Nevada?"

"Looks like it" said Grant, nodding. "Do you have a problem with that or something?"

"Hell no!" said Skye, now grinning a little deviously. "What do you say we take a little detour on our way to your friend's and have ourselves a little fun before driving completely through? I think it's high time we started living life to the fullest."

"What do you mean?" asked Grant and Leo simultaneously, making them both chuckle.

"We should totally hit up Las Vegas!" said Skye, now beaming widely.

"Are you serious?" asked Grant, quirking a brow.

"You do know you're talking to Skye, right?" chuckled Leo. "When she beams like that she's always serious."

"I know, but, Las Vegas isn't really my style..." said Grant, frowning and internally grimacing.

"Oh, c'mon, Grant, live a little!" exclaimed Skye. "Let's just book ourselves into a hotel for no more than 3 or 4 nights, party at some night clubs, hit the casinos for some gambling and just overall have some much needed and well deserved fun with each other!"

"I'm with Skye on this one, Ward" smiled Leo at the thought. "I've always wondered what it would be like to check out Las Vegas one day so I'm definitely game."

"Hell yeah! That's the spirit, Fitz!" said Skye, raising her hand up to high five him and smiling when he obliged her quite happily.

"I guess I'm out voted" sighed Grant heavily, still not entirely into the idea as much as they were.

"Sucks to be you, babe" smirked Skye a little smugly. "Now, quit being a grouch and find us all a sweet and totally kick ass hotel to stay at for a few days!"

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After taking their detour to Las Vegas they drove around for a while just taking in the sights with Skye making mental notes of where she planned on going as soon as it was dark, since she was eager to see Las Vegas lit up at night more than anything. Once done sight seeing they booked into The Mandalay Bay Resort &amp; Casino located on the southern end of The Las Vegas Strip.

Once they booked into the hotel they quickly started making themselves more than at home in the extremely spacious Penthouse Suite that Grant had chosen to book them all into because it was the biggest, the best and also had 4 bedrooms each with giant double beds and en-suite bathrooms. Upon entering their suite Skye had immediately claimed the largest bedroom out of the 4 for herself and Grant to share and before Leo had even got the chance to object.

"Can we really afford to stay here for a few days?" asked Leo, as he flopped down next to Skye onto one of the large cream coloured sofas in the middle of the large living room of the Penthouse Suite.

"Grant's credit card would've got declined if we couldn't afford it" answered Skye. "I'd say we're cool for as long as it doesn't."

"I texted my friend before booking us into the hotel" said Grant, walking out of the bedroom towards them and latching onto their conversation. "I've got his full permission to charge whatever I want to the credit card he gave me while we're here. He actually told me to relax and start having some fun for a change."

"And I totally agree with him" smiled Skye. "It's time you showed me and Fitz just how much fun you can really be."

"We'll see about that" chuckled Grant. "Just make sure that you both remember for as long we're here and around the hotel staff and other guests that you're Chloe Wayne and Iain Wayne, okay?"

"Relax, babe, we're not gonna forget our fake names" said Skye, laughing softly. "What made you settle on the names Chloe and Iain for me and Fitz anyway? As well as Brett Wayne for yourself."

"Chloe and Iain were just the first two names that came into my head when the receptionist asked me for our names" replied Grant, shrugging. "As for Brett Wayne it's the name that I settled on before leaving my friend's place and the name that he put on the credit card he gave me. As for Wayne I figured it made sense we all share the same surname and because it saves us the trouble of having to remember separate ones for each other."

"Is your mystery friend's surname also Wayne by any chance?" asked Leo curiously.

"Maybe..." said Grant, trailing off with a smirk and striding back into the bedroom. "...maybe not."

"I think I just figured out who Ward's mysterious friend is and if I'm right then, _bloody hell..." _said Leo, trailing off in slight awe over the thought of it being who he was now thinking and actually hoping it was. "...Skye, I think Ward's friend might actually be-"

Leo was cut off from finishing his sentence due to the doorbell to their hotel room suddenly ringing.

"Hold that thought, Fitz!" said Skye, as she jumped to her feet and headed towards the door to open it. Upon opening the door she was greeted by a woman with long, black hair that went down past her shoulders and travelled down her back that also happened to be sporting a really wide smile upon seeing her. "Um, hey. Are you room service or something? Because I can't remember ordering any food if you are."

"No, I'm not room service" she replied, laughing lightly. "Guess again, Skye."

"How do you know my name?" asked Skye, frowning at the woman standing in front of her and taking note of the small duffel bag that she had casually flung over her right shoulder. "Who are you?"

"The whole point of guessing, Skye, is to guess" she said, laughing again. "However, the name that Grant booked me into the Penthouse Suite with you all is Maya Wayne apparently."

Now more confused than ever Skye spun around to go and retrieve Grant from their bedroom so he could explain what the hell was going on only to find she didn't have to go and get him because he'd already come striding out of their bedroom and was heading towards her. "There you are!"

"What's going on?" asked Grant, as he came to a stop beside Skye.

"You tell me" said Skye, turning back to face the mystery woman at the door. "She says her name is Maya Wayne and that you booked her into the Penthouse Suite with us."

Grant just curved the corner of his mouth up into a wide smile when he finally settled his eyes upon the woman standing before him and with a wide smile of her own. _"...Kara?!"_


End file.
